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  • It’s funny how one song can spark a debate about which musician is the best and who’s not. That’s exactly what happened after rappers A-Q and Blaqbonez dropped their new single, “Who’s Really Rapping,” on Friday, June 20, 2025.

    The Nigerian hip-hop community has been buzzing ever since, largely due to a heated exchange between Blaqbonez and OdumoduBlvck—an issue Odumodu has described as personal. The clash has surprised some fans, considering the duo’s history of collaboration on tracks like “DOLLERZ” (2023), “TESLA BOY” (2023), and “TECHNICIAN” (2024). Still, for others, the tension has been a long time coming, with whispers of friction between their camps circulating for a while now.

    Fans and spectators don’t seem too bothered by whether this is a personal matter or not—they just want smoke. They’re calling for lyrical warfare, not rants and subtweets in all caps.

    Whether you’re just catching up or deep in the drama, here’s everything you need to know.

    February 7, 2025: OdumoduBlvck calls EZIOKWU the greatest hip hop album

    On February 7, 2025, a clip of OdumoduBlvck on Adesope ‘Shopsydoo’ Olajide’s podcast, The Afrobeats Podcast, where he said that not one of his contemporaries has made an album like his 2023’s EZIOKWU, went viral on X. In the excerpt of the podcast, OdumoduBlvck said, “All the rappers in the Hip-Hop space, they should bring their albums together, join all of them together. Pick the best hits on each album. Compile them into one project, it’s not beating EZIOKWU.”

    He also said that he was making his conclusion based on the hits of the moment and not any rapper’s discography. “It’s just like me coming out to come and hide behind the concept of consistency. You can’t hide behind the concept of consistency. I get am before no be property. You must show work now,” he said.

    After he faced backlash, he came online and doubled down on his comments, saying that “my legacy will not be truncated.”

    February 7, 2025: Blaqbonez responds

    Later that day, rapper Blaqbonez quoted the visualiser for his song “Consistency”, and said: “THIS IS CONSISTENCY, say it for those in the back, for the ignorant, it burnsss!” Fans of Nigerian Hip Hop received the post from Blaqbonez as a diss on OdumoduBlvck’s statement about musicians hiding behind the concept of consistency.

    “Blaq VS OD? I’m here for it,” one fan posted on X. “Odumodublvck to reply in 3…2…1,” someone else said. 

    April 2025: OdumoduBlvck throws a middle finger at the Headies

    During OdumoduBlvck’s performance at the Headies Awards in April, Odumodu gave the audience a middle finger (fuck you), and some observers said he did it in the direction of Blaqbonez and his crew, who were also at the award ceremony.

    June 21, 2025: All breaks loose

    Fast forward to the release of the “Who’s Really Rapping” song by Blaqbonez and rapper A-Q last week. OdumoduBlvck made a series of posts on X, attacking the song and Blaqbonez. “Tell that old fool that Odumodu is really rapping,” one of the posts read.

    In another post, he said, “WHO VEX SMIGGLE?” referencing to the Lord of the Rings character. He also said, “A-FOOL,” which Hip-Hop fans say is a play on A-Q. He also mentioned a rapper who made a deal they can’t get out of and is now trying to “use my name to sell records.” Even though he didn’t direct that post at any rapper in particular, fans were quick to say it was directed at Blaqbonez.

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    After fans asked OdumoduBlvck to drop a diss track to address the situation, his response was, “Make Kendrick go dey battle Ace Hood.” He later added that he wasn’t interested in “rap beef.” “I no dey do rap beef with una,” he said.

    June 21, 2025:  Blaqbonez responded

    After Blaqbonez congratulated Olamide and praised his new album, Olamide, he added that he was not sure he could have a 15-year career in the industry, but fans should take what he had to offer.

    But after a fan replied to him, saying he hopes he doesn’t die, he seized the opportunity to address the matter with Odumodu in a thinly veiled post. 

    “Them say them go kill me, but I don record enough for 3 more albumss, no fear, because rap actually hard for some people,” he posted.

    June 22, 2025:  Odumodu and Blaqbonez in open brawl

    OdumoduBlvck, who had not directly addressed Blaq, quoted the post on X, saying: “If rap hard for me your last hit no go dey with me,” referencing their 2024 collaboration, ”TECHNICIAN.” “I am everything you want to be nigga,” he added.

    Blaqbonez ignored Odumodu’s post and made a new one in which he said, “Been hot since I step into the game. Everlasting taker.” 

    OdumoduBlvck quoted it the post saying, “You are not taking anything nigga. You are using your label. Nobody book for shows anymore. Me replying you is what you need for your career. And I will give you because you have mouths to feed.”

    Blaqbonez fired back in a counter-post, challenging Odumodu to a lyrical spar: “Enter studio & get tf out my mentions. This no be Twitter warfare & stop calling the show industry crying about me. No be so Kendrick Lamar dey do. Hip-Hop legacy.”

    OdumoduBlvck declined the offer, saying, “You want to make it about studio. Na lie. We go meet again for street. You know the level. This is not a rap beef. Na me and you for this world.”

    At the time of this reporting, Blaqbonez had stopped posting on X, but OdumoduBlvck made several other posts. A-Q also hasn’t responded directly to OdumoduBlvck, but he made a post saying, “It’s funny how one verse can fxxk up the game…”

    June 23, 2025: OdumoduBlvck tells Blaqbonez to leave Best Rapper conversations

    In a clip from an interview with EDK of Jusmen Radio, posted on Monday morning, OdumoduBlvck openly called out Blaqbonez, telling him to stop calling himself the best rapper. “Do you know what it is to say you’re the Best Rapper in Nigeria? Stop joking. You’re not the Best Rapper. M.I is the Best Rapper. Vector is the Best Rapper. If you are the Best Rapper, you would have won the Best Rap Album of the Year. You were not even nominated for Best Rap Single,” he said.

    “So, for me to come and say that I’m the best rapper, that means I have to be the best rapper. But if you’re not, stop saying it. It’s getting on my nerves bro. You can get smacked in the face for saying that type of shit,” he added.

    What fans are saying..

    Some fans have gone on to dig OdumoduBlvck’s old tweets, giving props to Blaqbonez and A-Q on different occasions:

    At Blaqbonez’s show, OdumoduBlvck performed his hit “DECLAN RICE” for the first time:

    https://twitter.com/Odumodublvck_/status/1640713677145014274

    OdumoduBlvck admitting that he copied Blaqbonez’s game plan for his music:

    OdumoduBlvck giving A-Q props:

    OdumoduBlvck quoting an A-Q lyrics on his timeline:

    Some fans are excited that a rap beef between two big rappers will serve them, while the rest are unimpressed by the whole drama.

     This is a developing story.

    ALSO READ: Pastor Paul Adefarasin and the Stun Gun Saga: A Complete Timeline

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  • Before the sold-out music tours, performance at the BET Awards, and luxury wristwatches, there was a young talent named Davido and a talent manager named Asa Asika. Last weekend, Asika got married to the love of his life, Leona Adesanya in Lagos and a viral video of Davido crying during a speech at the wedding showed the bond between both men.

    What started as a manager-artist link-up in the early 2010s has now grown into one of Afrobeats’ most iconic partnerships, complete with a silent breakup, a wholesome reunion, and enough full-circle moments to make other musicians jealous.

    Asika and Davido’s friendship has survived egos, growth, and the madness of fame. Through it all, they’ve given us some of the biggest moments in Nigerian pop culture. 

    Here’s a complete timeline of their friendship: from the first link-up to the bromance that brought Davido to tears at Asika’s wedding last weekend.

    Pre-2010s: Asa Asika and Davido became casual friends

    In an interview that Asa Asika did in 2020 on Joey Akan’s Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, he said he doesn’t remember the first time he met Davido, but they were both teenagers. Asika was at Whitesands School and Davido at British International School (BIS).

    Some boys in Asika’s class in Whitesands moved to BIS, and became Davido’s classmates. Some moved from Davido’s class in BIS and ended up at Whitesands too. “We had a few of those kinds of friends. We knew each other. I knew there was this guy David that used to make music,” he said.

    He also said that some of their friends convinced them to work together. Davido was known as the guy who had a great passion for music. As a teenager, Asika had worked with singer YQ, who was signed to Storm360, a record label owned by Obi Asika (Asa’s uncle) at the time. It made sense that their school friends saw potential in them and tried to convince them to work together. 

    But at the time, Davido was only interested in being a music producer and label owner, not a musician. 

    2010: Asa Asika managed Davido

    In the late 2010s, when Asika was still trying to work with Nero NPZ, Davido’s cousin, he called Asika to say he was ready to give being a musician a shot. Asika was aligned, and it was go-time. “We always used to say it. You [Davido] can do this better than all these people,” Asika said.

    Davido was working on his first single, “Back When”. He finished the song in Nigeria and featured Naeto C, Asika’s cousin, on it. That period was Asika’s first rodeo with talent management. At age 20, he became Davido’s manager.

    Together, they did the groundwork for what became HKN Music, Davido’s first record label. Under Asika’s management, Davido’s “Back When” and “Dami Duro” blew up and made him a household name.

    2012: Asa Asika and Davido split

    However, after working together on Davido’s first album, Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis and releasing it, they split up. Rumours arose that they split due to ego clashes and industry pressure. Some said it was a business disagreement, but none could be confirmed. They never aired their dirty laundry in public.

    In 2013, Asika focused on his personal music company, StarGaze Management Company. In 2016, he founded The Plug Entertainment, an entertainment and management firm alongside Bizzle Osikoya.

    Davido, on the other hand, had a new manager called Kamal Ajiboye during that period, launched another label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), signed a deal with Sony Music and released his Son of Mercy EP, which wasn’t critically acclaimed.

    Though they were apart regarding work, that didn’t stop them from making money together as friends. According to Asika, they made more money together when they split than when they first worked together.

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    Late 2016/Early 2017: Asa Asika and Davido reunited

    By the time Asika and Davido got back to working together, they had both evolved. Asika had worked with more artists, like Ayo Jay, BOJ, Naeto C, DJ Obi, Black Magic, etc. Davido has had major label experience and achieved more success in his music career.

    Asika once stated that he wasn’t impressed with how the Son of Mercy EP performed, but it gave him insight about what worked when he was in the team and when he wasn’t. “Everybody saw the difference when I came back. So, everybody knew that these guys [him and Davido] together are a force. Me and him [Davido] always knew it was just a thing of us being men and say that ‘Oya, let’s go and do this.”

    Davido rehired Asika as his manager in 2017. It was a surprise but a welcome comeback. That same year, Davido released “If” and “Fall.” Both songs went on to kickstart OBO’s international crossover.

    Since the two got back together as musician and manager, their professional relationship has flourished. They remain among the most successful artist-manager duos in African music history.

    2025: Davido cries at Asa Asika’s wedding

    Over the weekend of May 16th, 2025, the most talked-about event was Asa Asika’s wedding to Leona Adesanya. “Davido’s manager is getting married” and “It’s the wedding of the guy who blew OBO” were the kind of comments that spread on the internet. Also, thanks to the ever-present media and to Davido’s vibrant self, several moments from the wedding that revealed the depth of their friendship went viral online.

    From making an enthusiastic comment, “Person wey change my life for fourteen years” and bringing out bundles of Naira notes to lavish at Asika’s wedding,  it was a wholesome weekend of celebration, loyalty and bromance for Davido and Asa Asika.

    ALSO READ: A Complete Timeline of Priscilla Ojo and Juma Jux’s Relationship

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