T.I Blaze, Seyi Vibez, Shallipopi Turn Up Heat on Dapper Music Over Alleged Royalty Disputes

Three Nigerian music stars, T.I Blaze, Seyi Vibez and Shallipopi, have publicly accused Damilola “Dapper” Akinwunmi, chief executive officer of Dapper Music, of alleged contractual and financial irregularities.

The artistes aired their grievances in separate posts on X on Friday, with their allegations touching on music catalogue licensing, unpaid royalties, contractual obligations and the accounting of revenues generated from their music.

T.I Blaze questions catalogue dealings

T.I Blaze was the first to publicly raise the issue, accusing Dapper Music of licensing his intellectual property without his consent.

The singer questioned how his music rights could be licensed without what he described as a mutual agreement between the parties.

He also raised questions about the involvement of Virgin Music, asking how the company became involved in a deal in which, according to him, it was expected to receive a 30 per cent share.

T.I Blaze further demanded an explanation over what he claimed was ₦1.2bn in revenue that he said had not been adequately accounted for.

The artiste said he had spent seven months waiting for an amicable resolution and claimed his contract with Dapper Music had expired.

He also alleged that he was owed money and referenced a figure of $185,000 in connection with revenue generated from his music.

T.I Blaze called for the release of his catalogue, saying he was prepared to settle what he described as an outstanding obligation.

Seyi Vibez weighs in

Seyi Vibez, who was also previously signed to Dapper Music, joined the criticism with a series of posts directed at the label executive.

The singer claimed that his earnings had been used to fund the signing of other artistes to the label.

He also expressed concern for artistes who remain affiliated with Dapper Music, suggesting that they could encounter similar difficulties.

Seyi Vibez did not provide supporting documents for the claims in his posts.

Shallipopi alleges withheld royalties

Shallipopi made the most detailed allegations of the three artistes, accusing Dapper Music of withholding royalties and selling his catalogue without providing what he considered adequate accounting.

The singer claimed the label was holding royalty payments connected to 46 songs, including revenue from his song “E Don Cast.”

He also alleged that his catalogue, along with those of other artistes, had been transferred to Virgin Music and accused Dapper of collecting money from the arrangement without properly accounting for it.

Shallipopi further said he had approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the matter and alleged that Dapper had also appeared before the agency.

He accused the label boss of using multiple lawyers to handle the disputes and said he was prepared to pursue the matter further.

The artiste attributed his growing understanding of financial transparency and music-business operations partly to his experience working with artists and industry figures, saying he had become more aware of how revenue was generated and distributed.

Dapper Music yet to respond

The allegations have placed renewed attention on contractual arrangements between Nigerian artistes and music executives, particularly issues surrounding ownership, licensing, royalties and transparency.

However, the claims made by the three artistes remain allegations.

As of the time of publication, Dapper Music and Damilola Akinwunmi had not publicly responded to the accusations.

Any response from the label or its CEO could provide further context on the contractual and financial issues raised by the artistes.