Popular show boy Ayodeji Balogun, otherwise called Wizkid, is at loggerheads with his fans again on twitter. The show of animosity, which is happening for the second time this year, stemmed from the singer’s perceived harsh response to fans’ criticisms of his style.
Only recently, news of a concert staged by the artiste in Abuja went viral on the social media, wherein the artiste was said to have performed before a scanty audience.
Wizkid Live Abuja Invasion, as the concert was tagged, took place last Sunday. Feelers from Abuja said the show, which was slated for 5pm, did not commence until 9:30pm, because the organisers were waiting for more fans to arrive. In the process, the early birds were said to have left in annoyance.
Wizkid, who was the headliner, had featured label mates; Skales, Niyola and Shaydee. Gate fee for the show was N4,000 for regular seat, N10,000 for VIP, N300,000 for a table of eight, and N500,000 being the platinum table also for eight people.
Fans took denigration of the show to the social media, stating how rich the artiste, who runs his own label, Star Boy Record, is, and how he charges N5 million per show.
Reacting to the jibes, Wizkid posted what his fans considered an arrogant response: “Up! Ain’t worried about nothing. On to the next one…. owo n wole wa! He got bombarded more, especially for the last phrase; a Yoruba language expression perceived to mean that it does not matter what people say about him as long as money keeps entering his purse.
Wizkid was under a similar attack recently, when a fan, noticing a grammatical error in the singer’s post tried to correct him. His response: “Broke people always think they have an opinion,” caused a ripple. Some of his attackers reminded the artiste of how broke he too used to be before fortune smiled on him.
Some say this repeated fallout with the singer could be connected to the reason his last show was not successful.
But penultimate Thursday, the artiste put up a spectacular show, performing alongside Femi Kuti. It was the debut performance of their collaborative effort, which came up during the Felabration show, a yearly event wherein the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is being celebrated. Wizkid’s performance was described as near-perfect – aligning with a live band and his EME label mate DJ Xclusive. “His execution and delivery showed he’s warming up quickly, eager to join the league of maestros,” someone observed. He was described as someone whose performance showed a side many fail to see: “A kid that works 10 times harder than most of his contemporaries; an ambitious performer, who is determined to break barriers.”
