The discussion was sparked by renowned producer Sarz during a recent appearance on the Afropolitan podcast, where he claimed that several popular musicians took advantage of him earlier in his career. According to Sarz, some artists recorded songs with him without fulfilling agreed payments.
“So many popular artists took advantage of me, they would make music with me and not pay me. There is one big artiste I made two songs with but he only paid for one,” he said, explaining that the experience pushed him to adopt a stricter business policy of refusing to work with anyone unable to meet his fees.
Following the viral circulation of the interview clip on X (formerly Twitter), producer Ozedikus recounted a similar ordeal. He alleged that between 2016 and 2017, he produced more than 30 songs within two months for an unnamed artist without receiving payment. Beyond that, he claimed he was denied proper production credit when one of the tracks was eventually released.
“Got paid for none. They dropped one track and I was begging just to be tagged on IG for ‘exposure.’ Still didn’t happen,” he wrote.
Adding his voice to the growing conversation, DJ DJ Kaywise shared his own experience involving rapper Eldee The Don. Kaywise alleged that in 2012, Eldee promised to sign him to his record label after he produced over 1,000 mixtapes for him and affiliated artists during his early days in Alaba. According to Kaywise, he was told that music platform NotJustOk would announce the deal after the signing of Eva Alordiah — a promise he said never materialised.
Describing the incident as his first major industry disappointment, DJ Kaywise noted that the experience influenced his decision to remain independent throughout his career. He added that staying unsigned has ultimately proven beneficial for him.
As of the time of reporting, Eldee The Don has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
The revelations have reignited debate about contractual transparency, credit recognition, and fair compensation within Nigeria’s music industry, particularly for producers and DJs whose contributions often shape the final sound of hit records.