“When the Mic Turns into a Mirror: M.I. Abaga’s Unfiltered Take on Music Money”

Veteran rapper M.I. Abaga set the industry buzzing this week after making one of the most unfiltered statements of his career. Speaking with the kind of candor that has defined his two decades in Nigerian music, he claimed that much of the money keeping the country’s music scene alive comes from people involved in internet fraud—what many know as “Yahoo money.” It wasn’t just a throwaway remark. M.I. framed it as a reflection of the industry’s fragile financial ecosystem, pointing out that beyond streaming royalties and brand deals, a significant portion of behind-the-scenes funding is fueled by questionable sources. His comment has reignited conversations about the ethical foundation of Afrobeats’ meteoric rise, especially in an era when Nigerian artists are dominating global charts. For some, his words were a necessary reality check—a reminder that the glamour of music videos and the spectacle of sold-out shows may be masking deeper structural issues. For others, it felt like a risky generalization, one that could cast a shadow over hardworking artists who have built their careers without such support. As the debates flood timelines and WhatsApp groups, one thing is certain: M.I. has once again proven his knack for sparking uncomfortable but necessary conversations in a culture that often prefers its truths sugar-coated. Whether the industry takes this as a wake-up call or sweeps it under the rug remains to be seen.