Renowned Nigerian highlife musician, Chinedu Okoli, professionally known as Flavour, has seemingly alleged that his colleague, Kcee, has been replicating his musical style.

On Monday, the ‘Nabania’ singer took to his social media platform to subtly criticize an unnamed individual for imitating him.

Although Flavour refrained from explicitly mentioning anyone, fans promptly deduced that his comments were directed towards Kcee, who recently shifted his musical focus from Afropop to highlife and Igbo cultural music.

These platform analyses indicate that, despite variations in lyrics and release dates, the song from Netfliss shares significant similarities with Flavour’s track in terms of melody, rhythm, progression, and overall composition.

Following Flavour’s tweet, the ‘Limpopo’ artist reacted on Monday with a series of tweets addressing the allegations. “BRO!!!!!! We are not on the same level. Pick your battles carefully,” he wrote.

In another tweet, Kcee asserted that the ‘Nwa Baby-Ashawo’ artist has no authority to dictate Igbo culture or the Highlife genre, nor to diminish his contributions, as these belong to the collective.

The ‘Ojapiano’ singer said, “Stop trying to gatekeep Igbo culture. You’re not a custodian. I’ve been in this game before you; it belongs to all. You don’t own this genre of music. My music celebrates our heritage, and I won’t apologise.”

Kcee later defended his artistic decisions by tweeting, “In an ocean of things that matter, you’re like a needle. People recognise authenticity. I’ll continue celebrating our culture unapologetically. Spend your energy on success, not diminishing mine.”

The 45-year-old artist did not stop there. He voiced his irritation over the criticism directed at his work, stating, “I’ve never been the type to go head to head, but I’m calling out this bullshit because I won’t be disrespected. No way… I’ve come too far for anyone to downplay my sweats and hard work. HELL NO!!!!”

An X user, 21 Nut Savan, intensified the discussion by questioning Kcee’s relevance, asking, “When was the last time you had a hit?” Kcee said, “The same day, time, and date that your father and mother brought a maladroit (lacking understanding, relevance) like you into this world.”

Kcee has faced allegations of intellectual property theft on multiple occasions. In 2023, his track ‘Ojapiano’ generated significant debate, with critics asserting that he heavily drew inspiration from emerging artist Kolaboy's ‘Kolapiano’ without giving due credit.

Additionally, in a related copyright matter, Kcee was sued in 2021 for purportedly infringing on the gospel song ‘Som Too Chukwu’ by Jude Nnam. Nnam alleged that Kcee used parts of his work without authorization in the ‘Cultural Praise’ album. However, the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed a ₦500 million copyright claim against Kcee, determining that Nnam did not substantiate his allegations. The court subsequently awarded Kcee and his legal team ₦1 million in punitive damages against Nnam.

In December 2023, singer Harrysong publicly criticized Kcee, demanding payment for seven years of unpaid royalties. He accused Kcee of claiming 100% of the profits from his popular songs, such as “Regae Blues” and “Baba for the Girls,” labeling the situation as unjust and characterizing Kcee as a bully for withholding his fair share.