Obi Asika, a music executive, has alleged that ace rapper Eedris Abdulkareem put his career on hold in 2004 to protect the next generation of Afrobeats artists.
50 Cent and Eedris were set to appear at an event in Port Harcourt, Rivers, in 2004.
Eedris was allegedly beaten by 50 Cent’s colleagues at the Lagos airport after an argument about first-class seating.
In February, Eedris claimed that the historic incident was the “most beautiful sacrifice” that resulted in success for the new-generation artists.
He alleged that 50 Cent’s entourage “flogged” and “chased away” other Nigerian artists, including Psquare.
The rapper’s remark elicited mixed reactions from his peers and music fans.
In an interview with HipTV, the music mogul compared Eedris’ feud with 50 Cent to “taking a bullet for other artistes coming behind him”.
Asika said that the 2004 incident “ended his career” because event organizers “saw him as a trouble maker”.
“The basic situation was this, Nigerian brands did not respect Nigerian artistes. They made Nigerian talents feel like they had to beg to get on stage. They diminished them. And they did it to the musicians, the comedians, and into the Nollywood,” he said.
“… Eedris was one of the biggest artistes in the country. And he came to the show and told them he wanted the same rights as 50 Cent. Not the same money, he was not going to get the same money. They did a show in Lagos, there was a chartered plane to take them to Benin or Port Harcourt.
“So when they got onto the plane, 50 Cent was not even there when this thing happened. To clarify, 50 did not do anything physically to anyone. But 50 was going to be involved in the repercussion. Eedris gets on the plane and wants to sit down in the business class because he wants to talk to the artiste. Maybe talk about collaboration, and build relationships. That is what artistes do. But the philosophy of the local brand was separation.
“They go and ask the agency guys. And the agency guys said remove him. He is not supposed to be there. They physically removed Eedris and took him off the plane. By the time 50 Cent arrived, they just saw this guy over there who they did not know, screaming and cursing anybody on that plane.
“What he did, he took a bullet for other artistes coming behind him. Because they ended his career. After that whole thing happened, you did not see him again… like he is a troublemaker but he is not a troublemaker.”
Asika claimed the incident made 50 Cent leave the country without performing for the rest of the show.
