Nigerian rap icon M.I Abaga ignited a fiery debate today after remarks circulating from a

Nigerian rap icon M.I Abaga ignited a fiery debate today after remarks circulating from a recent podcast interview  suggested that proceeds from internet fraud (“Yahoo Yahoo”) are helping to finance some artists. The comments, reported today by TheCable Lifestyle echos a recurring controversy in the Nigerian music ecosystem: opaque funding pipelines, the ethics of patronage, and the long-term reputational risk for Afrobeats as a global brand. 

According to reports and videos, M.I spoke on the realities artists face in a high-cost industry: studio time, marketing, security, and touring all require significant capital. While Afrobeats stars are now selling out arenas worldwide, many emerging acts struggle to monetize legitimately at home due to piracy, fragmented royalties, and a pay-to-play ecosystem. Into that pressure cooker, M.I warns, flows “dirty money,” which can distort incentives and compromise industry standards. Today’s reactions run the gamut: some praise his candor as an overdue intervention; others worry it tars the scene and invites regulatory heat.

The controversy also spotlights adjacent issues M.I has tackled for years: the need for transparent collecting societies, data-driven royalty distribution, brand-safe A&R pipelines, and artist education on contracts and publishing. Critics argue that generalizing about illicit funding risks painting with too broad a brush; advocates say sunlight is the first step toward reform. Either way, today’s reporting ensures the topic won’t fade quietly.