Nigerian singer Palisade Ogunka, popularly known as Sky B, has publicly called out Afrobeats global star Burna Boy and several other artistes he claims supported them during their early careers, accusing them of failing to reciprocate his gestures after his own career declined.
The Port Harcourt-born artistes made the allegations during an appearance on the KAA Truth podcast, where he spoke at length about the sacrifices he and others made to build the Port Harcourt music scene during its formative years.
Sky B claimed that at the height of his career, he actively supported several artistes from the region, including Mr. 2Kay and Timaya, investing time and resources into their growth. He expressed bitterness that those efforts have gone unacknowledged.
In one particularly striking account, the singer alleged that an artiste he had previously supported turned down a performance opportunity specifically to avoid sharing a stage with him.
“I once gave a PA to the Governor an artiste’s number, and he called the artiste and told him he wanted him to perform with me at an event, and the artiste declined. The artiste rejected the contract because he didn’t want me involved in the deal. These are brothers I have helped in the past,” he said.
Sky B reserved his sharpest criticism for Burna Boy, arguing that the Grammy-winning star owes a debt of gratitude to those who helped lay the groundwork for Port Harcourt’s rise in the Nigerian music industry. He called on Burna Boy to either offer him financial support or collaborate with him to revive his career.
“What is annoying me most now is Burna Boy coming into the limelight and not remembering me and those who paved the way for Port Harcourt musicians. He is supposed to support me financially or collaborate with me to rejuvenate my career,” he stated.
The singer also suggested that his ethnic background may have played a role in his being overlooked, lamenting that artists from other regions appeared more willing to uplift their own. “Assuming I am a Yoruba or an Igbo man, maybe they could have considered helping me.
But because I am from Rivers, the envy is too much,” he added.
Neither Burna Boy nor any of the other artistes mentioned have publicly responded to the allegations at the time of this report.
