Entertainment
Spotify drops documentary on Shallipopi’s rise to fame
Online music streaming platform, Spotify, has released its ‘RADAR Africa’ documentary on the musical career of Nigerian Singer, Crown Uzama, popularly known as “Shallipopi”.
Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, in a statement on Friday said the documentary offers a unique glimpse into Shallipopi’s creative process, inspirations, and personal life.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Spotify’s RADAR documentary is dedicated to bringing rising talents to the forefront globally
According to Okumu, Shallipopi is set to captivate global audiences with the release of his Spotify RADAR Africa documentary.
“The documentary offers an intimate look at his journey from the streets of Edo State to chart-topping success.
“As one of Nigeria’s most compelling new artistes, Shallipopi’s story is one of resilience and artistry, resonating across social divides.”
Okumu noted that Spotify RADAR Africa documentary served as Shallipopi’s global introduction, capturing the essence of his journey.
According to her, the documentary opens with Shallipopi returning to his hometown in Edo, reflecting on his roots and the origins of his stage persona.
She said through candid conversations with his brother and collaborator, Zerry DL, viewers could gain insight into Shallipopi’s early influences and creative aspirations.
“Together, they reminisce about their first song and the dreams that shaped their path.
“The film also includes exclusive interviews with the Chief Executive Officer of Dvpper Music and one of Shallipopi’s key producers, unveiling the inner workings of his swift rise in the music industry.
“Adding to the documentary’s depth, Shallipopi’s popular track “ASAP” from his project Shakespopi Vol. 1, released earlier in the year, soundtracks much of the RADAR documentary.
“The song’s powerful beats and lyrics underscore Shallipopi’s journey, grounding his narrative in the sound that first propelled him into the spotlight.
“The success of Shakespopi Vol. 1 has sparked high anticipation for Shallipopi’s follow-up project, which is already in the works,” she said.
According to Okumu, in the documentary, a powerful scene, Shallipopi revisits his former college, where he is met with an enthusiastic crowd of fan, a testament to his impact on Nigeria’s next generation.
She said the documentary wraps up with a behind-the-scenes look at Shallipopi’s recent Wireless Festival performance, marking his transition from local sensation to a global artist on the rise.
She explained that Shallipopi’s story is not only a personal triumph but a powerful narrative that resonates with Nigeria’s largest demographic while bridging class divides.
“As a Spotify RADAR Africa artiste, Shallipopi embodies the spirit of modern Nigerian music, bold, boundary-breaking, and unifying.
“Through his unfiltered storytelling and magnetic presence, he continues to capture the hearts of fans worldwide,” she said. (NAN)
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido has claimed that he started his life in a one-room apartment in a public compound, known locally as a face-me-I-face-you.
The singer made the claim on a song titled CFMF, off his fifth studio album, 5ive, which was released on Friday.
He claimed that he is now living a flamboyant life due to Jesus’s divine intervention.
“Take a step and walk into my life…
Started all the way from face me I face you
Face me I face you
And now, I am living real large all thanks to Jesu
All thanks to Jesu oh,” he sings.
His claim has been met with a groundswell of doubts, especially on social media, as the singer is known to be the son of billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke.
This is not the first time Davido has attempted to paint a grass-to-grace story in his music.
On his debut 2011 single, Back When, Davido claimed many ladies rejected his advances when he had no money but began chasing him after he achieved fame and success.
The song didn’t achieve much commercial success, partly due to the doubts that greeted his claims of humble beginnings, as he was known to be from a wealthy background.
Davido finally gained widespread prominence after the release of his 2012 breakthrough single, Dami Duro, where he embraced his wealthy background and boasted that he was unstoppable as the son of a rich man.
Nigeria’s popular stand-up comedian, Oluwaseyitan Lawrence Aletile, aka Seyi Law, has vowed never to support the presidential ambition of former Labour Party, LP, candidate, Peter Obi.
Seyi Law said he would never support Obi’s presidential ambition due to his failure to call the Obidient movement to order.
In an interview on the Teju Babyface podcast, Seyi Law recalled how Obidients attacked his wife and children because he supported President Bola Tinubu.
He lamented that Obi has refused to admit that Obidients attacked those who did not support him.
According to Seyi Law: “I don’t feel down at all because when you talk too much, I swear for you. One of the good things that God has done for me is that my anger doesn’t last long.
“Personal anger for me doesn’t last long. The only place it lasts long is when you leave me and attack my children, mother, and wife.
“The moment you cross that boundary from me to my children, mother, and wife — there is no forgiveness.
“That is why there is nothing on earth that Peter Obi can do that will make me support him. They (Obidients) attacked my children and my wife.
“As long as Peter Obi will not call them to order and he keeps denying that they are doing that, he will never get my support.
“Let Peter Obi wear the garment of Jesus Christ today — he will never get my support. Hate or love me, my personal way of life is between me and God.
“Any organization that does not support free thinking is a cult.”
Davido, the award-winning Nigerian singer, has released his much-anticipated album ‘5ive’.
The 17-track project, initially slated for release on March 14, finally hit streaming platforms in the early hours of Friday.
In the body of work, Davido features Jamaican singers 450 and Shensea, South African artiste Musa Keys, American musicians Chris Brown and Becky G, and French singers Tayc and Dadju.
Victony, Odumodublvck, Chike and Omah Lay are the Nigerian singers enlisted in the project.
The album’s songs include ‘5ive’, ‘Anything’, Be There Still’, ‘CFMF’, ’10 Kilo’, ‘Offa Me’, ‘Don’t Know’ and ‘R&B’, ‘Awuke’.
Others are ‘Holy Water’, ‘Nuttin Dey’, ‘Titanium’, ‘Lately’, ‘Tek’, ‘Funds’, ‘Lover Boy’s and ‘With You’.
Davido had earlier put out ‘Be There Still,’ ‘Awuke‘ featuring YG Marley, and ‘Funds‘, three tracks off the album.
‘5ive’ is the singer’s fifth studio album.
In December, Davido revealed that the album is “my story, my truth and my growth”.
“My people. The journey continues in 2025 with my new album ‘5IVE’. This is straight from the heart — my story, my truth and my growth,” he said.
On April 5, he also kicked off a five-city tour has Europe and North America in anticipation of ‘5ive’.
Born David Adeleke, Davido rose to fame in 2012 after releasing ‘Dami Duro,’ the second single from his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo’.
Since his debut album, he has delivered three other projects including ‘A Good Time’ (2019), ‘A Better Time‘ (2020), and ‘Timeless’ (2023).