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Shallipopi splits with Dapper Music, accuses the label of breach of trust

Nigerian singer Shallipopi has announced his split from the popular record label Dapper Music to whom he was signed since breaking into the mainstream in 2022.
In a post on his Instagram page on December 11, 2024, Shallipopi announced the split in a public release where he cited a breach of trust and lack of transparency as the reasons for his decision.

The announcement by the Benin-born rapper confirms the news of a split earlier after Shallipopi unfollowed Dapper Music founder and CEO Damilola Akinwunmi on Instagram.

In his announcement, Shallipopi described the decision as the hardest one he has ever made while also capturing it as a fight for all creatives who put their all into their craft.

“I come to you today with a heavy heart but an unshakable determination. I’m Crown Uzama, your Shallipopi, and l’ve made one of the toughest decisions of my career. Today, I’m officially ending my agreements with Dapper Music and Dupper Digital. This wasn’t a choice I made lightly, but it’s a step I had to take after my trust was broken, my finances mishandled, and my rights as an artist were disregarded.

This is bigger than just me. It’s about every artist and creator who pours their soul into their work, only to face betrayal and exploitation from people who should be looking out for them. It’s about standing up for fairness, integrity, and the respect that we all deserve.”

Shallipopi accused Dapper Music of a conflict of interest after the label got him to sign a publishing deal with one of its subsidiary companies Dvpper Digital.

“Dapper Music and Entertainment Limited, my management company, pushed me into a deal with Dupper Digital Limited, another company owned by the same person(s). Instead of prioritizing my growth, they prioritized their own profits, putting my career and dreams at risk.”

He also accused the label of a lack of transparency over the use and remittance of his earnings. According to the chart-topping artist, all efforts to get the accurate state of his financials proved abortive.

“I’ve worked hard, and like anyone, I deserve to know where my money is going. Despite repeated requests, I was denied access to clear financial records of my money. Imagine not knowing how much you’ve earned or where it’s gone. This is devastating and unacceptable.”

In a damning allegation, Shallipopi claimed that Dapper Music attempted to lock him into a “forever contract” that will entitle the label to 30% of his revenues in perpetuity.

“They tried to lock me into a contract where they’d take 30% of my earnings forever, even after we parted ways. Even after they no longer work for me, they want to continue to take a whole 30% of my earnings in perpetuity. That’s not just unfair, it’s exploitation and it is cruel.”

While Shallipopi’s time with Dapper Music has come to an acrimonious end, the partnership yielded positives for both partners as Shallipopi rose to stardom while the label consolidated its position as one of the biggest in Nigerian music.

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Entertainment

Nigerian Superstar Tems Wins Big At The 67th Grammys

Nigerian singer Tems won the Best African Song Performance award at the 67th Grammys.

The singer who led the Nigerian contingent with three nominations won the prize for her single ‘Love Me Jeje’ in a category packed with Nigerian superstars.

It was a history-making night for the two-time winner who became the first Nigerian artist to win the category.

Other historic feats include Kendrick Lamar’s 5 wins which made him the second rapper since Chidish Gambino to win the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories.

Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like US’ also won the Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video awards to take his tally to 22 thus becoming the third rapper with the most Grammys.

Jay Z broke his tie (24) with Kanye West after winning for Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ which won the Album of the Year, Best Country Album, and also delivered the Best Country Duo Performance.

Beyonce’s three wins at the 67th Grammys extend her record as the artist with the most wins with 35.

See the full winners list below.

Record of the Year
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar

Album of the Year
“Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé

Song of the Year
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)

Best New Artist
Chappell Roan

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Daniel Nigro

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen

Best Pop Solo Performance
“Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Best Pop Vocal Album
“Short n’ Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter

Best Dance/Electronic Recording
“Neverender,” Justice and Tame Impala

Best Dance Pop Recording
“Von Dutch,” Charli XCX

Best Dance/Electronic Album
“Brat,” Charli XCX

Best Remixed Recording
“Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix),” FNZ and Mark Ronson, remixers (Sabrina Carpenter)

Best Rock Performance
“Now and Then,” The Beatles

Best Metal Performance
“Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!),” Gojira, Marina Viotti and Victor Le Masne

Best Rock Song
“Broken Man,” Annie Clark, songwriter (St. Vincent)

Best Rock Album
“Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling Stones

Best Alternative Music Performance
“Flea,” St. Vincent

Best Alternative Music Album
“All Born Screaming,” St. Vincent

Best R&B Performance
“Made for Me (Live on BET),” Muni Long

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“That’s You,” Lucky Daye

Best R&B Song
“Saturn,” Rob Bisel, Cian Ducrot, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon and Scott Zhang, songwriters (SZA)

Best Progressive R&B Album
“So Glad to Know You,” Avery*Sunshine
“Why Lawd?,” NxWorries (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge)

Best R&B Album
“11:11 (Deluxe),” Chris Brown

Best Rap Performance
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar

Best Melodic Rap Performance
“3:AM,” Rapsody featuring Erykah Badu

Best Rap Song
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

“The Heart, the Mind, the Soul,” Tank and the Bangas

Best Jazz Performance
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Me,” Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner

Best Jazz Vocal Album
“A Joyful Holiday,” Samara Joy

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
“Remembrance,” Chick Corea and Béla Fleck

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence,” Dan Pugach Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album
“Cubop Lives!,” Luques Curtis, Zaccai Curtis, Willie Martinez, Camilo Molina and Reinaldo de Jesus

Best Alternative Jazz Album
“No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin,” Meshell Ndegeocello

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
“Visions,” Norah Jones

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
“Plot Armor,” Taylor Eigsti

Best Musical Theater Album
“Hell’s Kitchen,” Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon, principal vocalists; Adam Blackstone, Alicia Keys and Tom Kitt, producers (Alicia Keys, composer and lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Best Country Solo Performance
“It Takes a Woman,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“II Most Wanted,” Beyoncé featuring Miley Cyrus

Best Country Song
“The Architect,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)

Best Country Album
“Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé

Best Americana Performance
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell

Best American Roots Song
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell and Melody Walker, songwriters (Sierra Ferrell)

Best Americana Album
“Trail of Flowers,” Sierra Ferrell

Best Bluegrass Album
“Live Vol. 1,” Billy Strings

Best Traditional Blues Album
“Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa,” The Taj Mahal Sextet

Best Contemporary Blues Album

“Mileage,” Ruthie Foster

Best Folk Album
“Woodland,” Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album
“Kuini,” Kalani Pe’a

Best Gospel Performance/Song
“One Hallelujah,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell and Israel Houghton featuring Jonathan McReynolds and Jekalyn Carr; G. Morris Coleman, Israel Houghton, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Naomi Raine, songwriters

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“That’s My King,” CeCe Winans; Taylor Agan, Kellie Gamble, Lloyd Nicks and Jess Russ, songwriters

Best Gospel Album
“More Than This,” CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Heart of a Human,” Doe

Best Roots Gospel Album
“Church,” Cory Henry

Best Latin Pop Album
“Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Shakira

Best Música Urbana Album
“Las Letras Ya No Importan,” Residente

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
“¿Quién Trae las Cornetas?,” Rawayana

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
“Boca Chueca, Vol. 1,” Carín León

Best Tropical Latin Album
“Alma, Corazón y Salsa (Live at Gran Teatro Nacional),” Tony Succar, Mimy Succar

Best Global Music Performance
“Bemba Colora,” Sheila E. featuring Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar

Best African Music Performance
“Love Me JeJe,” Tems

Best Global Music Album
“Alkebulan II,” Matt B featuring Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Best Reggae Album
“Bob Marley: One Love — Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe),” (Various Artists)

Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album
“Triveni,” Wouter Kellerman, Eru Matsumoto and Chandrika Tandon

Best Children’s Music Album
“Brillo, Brillo!,” Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

Best Comedy Album
“The Dreamer,” Dave Chappelle

Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording
“Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” Jimmy Carter

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
“Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein,” Bradley Cooper, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (London Symphony Orchestra)

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)
“Dune: Part Two,” Hans Zimmer, composer

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
“Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord,” Winifred Phillips, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media
“It Never Went Away,” from “American Symphony”; Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)

Best Music Video
“Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar), Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jack Begert, Cornell Brown, Sam Canter, Jared Heinke, Jamie Rabineau and Anthony Saleh, video producers

Best Music Film
“American Symphony” (Jon Batiste) Matthew Heineman, video director; Lauren Domino, Matthew Heineman and Joedan Okun, video producers

Best Recording Package
“Brat,” Charli XCX, Brent David Freaney and Imogene Strauss, art directors (Charli XCX)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
“Mind Games,” Simon Hilton and Sean Ono Lennon, art directors (John Lennon)

Best Album Notes
“Centennial,” Ricky Riccardi, album notes writer (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band and Various Artists)

Best Historical Album
“Centennial,” Meagan Hennessey and Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer; Richard Martin, restoration engineer (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band and Various Artists)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“I/O,” Tchad Blake, Oli Jacobs, Katie May, Dom Shaw and Mark “Spike” Stent, engineers; Matt Colton, mastering engineer (Peter Gabriel)

Best Engineered Album, Classical
“Bruckner: Symphony No. 7; Bates: Resurrexit,” Mark Donahue and John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical
Elaine Martone

Best Immersive Audio Album
“I/O (In-Side Mix),” Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Peter Gabriel, immersive producer (Peter Gabriel)

Best Instrumental Composition
“Strands,” Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Akropolis Reed Quintet, Pascal Le Boeuf and Christian Euman)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Jacob Collier, Tori Kelly and John Legend, arrangers (Jacob Collier featuring John Legend and Tori Kelly)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“Alma,” Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johanye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor, arrangers (säje featuring Regina Carter)

Best Orchestral Performance Award
“Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina,” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording Award
“Saariaho: Adriana Mater,” Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Fleur Barron, Axelle Fanyo, Nicholas Phan and Christopher Purves; Jason O’Connell, producer (San Francisco Symphony; San Francisco Symphony Chorus; Timo Kurkikangas)

Best Choral Performance
“Ochre,” Donald Nally, conductor (The Crossing)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Rectangles and Circumstance,” Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Bach: Goldberg Variations,” Víkingur Ólafsson

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Beyond the Years — Unpublished Songs of Florence Price,” Karen Slack, soloist; Michelle Cann, pianist

Best Classical Compendium
“Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina,” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
“Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina,” Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale)

Best American Roots Performance
“Lighthouse,” Sierra Ferrell

Best Rap Album
“Alligator Bites Never Heal,” Doechii

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Celebs

Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori walks Grammys red carpet in a nude outfit

Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori, made a surprise appearance at the 67th Grammy Awards and surely surprised everyone after Censori took her coat off to reveal her see-through outfit on the red carpet.

The pair showed up at the prestigious event held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and Sunday, January 2, 2025, and quickly became the topic of headlines and controversy after Kanye’s wife unveiled her inner outfit. The see-through piece left nothing to the imagination, instantly stunning onlookers and social media users; however,the rapper himself remained clad in a black fit.

West and Censori did not arrive at the main event after their red carpet appearance and it was speculated that the two were not formally invited to the celebration and were kicked out. However, according to Variety Magazine, a source close to the Grammys denied the rumour, claiming that West just “walked the carpet, got in his car, and left” and that it was “not true.”

Censori’s sheer mini dress caused some people on social media to question if the appearance violated California’s indecent exposure laws.

The red carpet moment instantly sparked reactions across social media, with many slamming the rapper and his wife for their action.

“They should have been enough is enough at this point they need to be charged with indecent exposure,” an outraged user wrote on Instagram

Another person said, “Should’ve been because why did she show up there like that knowing children who were nominated were going to be there? weird!!”

Why doesn’t he go naked? Why does it always have to be her?” asked another person.

Despite the ongoing controversy, it is worth noting that it is not unusual for Censori to be half-naked in public with her husband.

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Celebs

Burna Boy splashes $1.5M on two wristwatches in one day

In the viral video showing the purchase of the luxury fashion accessories, the self-acclaimed African giant could be seen wearing two wristwatches on both his wrists as he smiled in apparent excitement.

The voice of someone who appears to be one of Burna’s aides could be heard in the background excitedly announcing the cost of the singer’s latest luxury acquisitions.

The voice of another man who appears to be a staff at the luxury store could be heard in the background telling the singer about some of the specifications of the wristwatches, saying one of the Richard Mille watches is a Bubba Watson and had a factory diamond to which Burna responded, “no aftermarket”, meaning it is a limited edition.

Speaking about the other Richard Mille watch, the voice explained to Burna that it is the Rafael Nadal RM35-03. He added that in the Rafael Nadal generation, Burna’s new acquisition is the fourth one made.

As the camera panned to the man sitting across the table from Burna, you could see he was rethinking his life after seeing how much the singer splashed on watches.

Further into the video, Burna could be seen trying to count how many Richard Mille watches he now owns while a voice in the background said “imagine losing count of how many Richard Mille you got.”

Burna eventually solved the arithmetic puzzle, concluding that he now owns seven Richard Mille watches, including the two he just purchased.

Burna is no stranger to stocking up on luxury items. In 2024, he bought a Rolls-Royce customized with diamond.

Recently Burna Boy fulfilled his promise of a $30,000 gift to Bethel Okechukwu who identified himself as a brother to socialite Cubana Chief Priest.

Amid the seeming rift with Cubana Chief Priest, Burn in less than 24 hours after making the promise, fulfilled it. An Instagram post shows the Grammy winner made good on the promise, eliciting joy and gratitude from the Okechukwu.

In the video, Okechukwu is seen thanking Burna for the kind gesture, stating that the singer has helped him escape poverty. The post read,

“God is real, Odogwu @burnaboygram, God has used you to pull me out from poverty. I will be forever grateful. Please, people, help me thank him for me,”

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