In the song “Chapter 16,” the award-winning rapper compares women who lie about their age to Nigerian strikers, a line many listeners have described as offensive and stereotyping.
“Hes lying about their age like Nigerian strikers,*” Dave raps on the track — a lyric that has since ignited heated debates across social media platforms.
While some fans have defended the rapper, calling it a tongue-in-cheek reference to long-standing age-cheating allegations in Nigerian football, others have criticised him for reinforcing negative stereotypes about his parents’ home country.
Though a British citizen, Dave — whose full name is David Orobosa Omoregie — has Nigerian roots from Edo State. Over the years, he has proudly highlighted his African heritage and collaborated with several Nigerian music stars, including Burna Boy, Wizkid, and most recently, Tems, who featured on his new album.
The lyric, however, has overshadowed much of the album’s rollout, with many Nigerians calling for the rapper to show more sensitivity when referencing his homeland.
Age falsification has long been a contentious issue in Nigerian football, with several cases surfacing at youth and national levels. In the past, Nigeria’s U-17 men’s team was even disbanded due to widespread age-cheating scandals, making the rapper’s reference a particularly touchy subject.