Cancel culture has now become a part of pop culture, with more people getting cancelled over things that were either mainstream years ago or overlooked then. However, the more mainstream cancel culture gets, the more glaring it is that not everyone can be cancelled. This realisation has us wondering: does cancel culture work in Nigeria and who has successfully been cancelled?
What is cancel culture?
Cancel culture can best be described as a form of ostracism practiced by society against people with a general focus on celebrities or companies exhibiting offensive behavior or holding controversial viewpoints. Cancel culture has been used to put pressure on organisations or individuals to force them to hold themselves accountable for their misdeeds.
Cancel culture as a part of pop culture
Cancel culture has become a major part of pop culture worldwide, especially in countries where mainstream celebrities are seen as role models. In a country like Nigeria, cancel culture affects an artist’s influence and the goodwill their name commands. In Nigeria, it is often directed against an artist who is either politically on what people consider the wrong side or against individuals with sexual assault charges. Sometimes it is on those who contributed to the death or physical torture of a person beloved by Nigerians.
Which Nigerian artists have been cancelled?
Although Nigeria often has a culture where even cancelled celebrities and organisations weave their way back into society, there have been cases where controversial people have been successfully cancelled. Here are some instances:
- Brymo
Nigerian singer and songwriter Brymo has been in the heat of controversies more often than not. However, his cancellation first stemmed from tribalist comments the singer made while campaigning for his beloved political party in 2023. His inflammatory comments against the Igbo people made him the target of cancel culture, but it wasn’t his only offense.
Brymo also faced criticism when, in 2023, he revealed that he had demanded a sexual relationship with musician Simi as one of his conditions for a music collaboration. The comments prompted people to call out the singer and also made assertions of blocking the singer from their streaming sites in order to reduce their contributions to platforming a sexual deviant. To date, the singer has continued to face the backlash of that statement and has been successfully cancelled from mainstream success.
- Naira Marley
Naira Marley has been the subject of many instances of cancel culture, but the most successful came after his alleged role in the death of beloved singer Mohbad. Although he has continued to deny playing a part in the death of the singer, many Nigerians have resolved to never listen to his music or contribute to any goodwill associated with his name. Naira Marley is another artist who has successfully been cancelled.
- Ronke Raji
Social media influencer and YouTuber Ronke Raji was cancelled by Nigerians due to what people deemed as her refusal to amplify the voices of Nigerian youths during #EndSars. Although she has now come out to clarify that she was not in the right place to contribute, for many, the YouTuber is already a conversation of the past.
- Zinoleesky
Alongside Naira Marley, Zinoleesky was cancelled for his alleged contribution to the loss of ‘Mohbad.’ Although Zino has also denied contributing to the suffering of the late singer, multiple sources have reportedly claimed the singer knew of the situation and did not step in to protect Mohbad, who was his friend and colleague. Zinoleesky still has fans, but has lost the attention and love of the mainstream audience.
- Baba Ijesha
Nollywood actor Baba Ijesha was not only cancelled but also imprisoned for his actions. The actor who was caught on CCTV sexually assaulting a minor faced social media backlash and outrage. Although the actor is now out of jail, he has continued to face criticism for his actions and is one of the most successful cancellations in Nigerian media.
- Sisi Alagbo
Social media personality Sisi Alagbo is being cancelled and called out for her leaked sex tape, which shows her in a threesome act with her husband and another woman. She came out to address the issue, stating that since the circulation of the video, which is old, she has been unable to sleep or eat, as it is affecting her mental health. Sisi Alagbo described the situation as a painful invasion of her privacy and expressed disappointment over how quickly it spread on social media, urging the public to respect her dignity and avoid further sharing of the content.
Who are the Nigerian celebrities who survived being cancelled?
A lot of Nigerian celebrities have been cancelled, but there are others who are so beloved that they have escaped every cancellation attempt. There are also others whose sole cancellation attempt did not substantially impact their careers. Here are a few.
- Simi
Simi’s cancellation attempt is one of the most recent attempts to cancel an artist in Nigeria. The singer faced vitriol and criticism in February after she spoke against gender-based violence against women. While there were valid concerns in the criticism of the singer, much of the anger directed at the singer bounced off. Two months later, Simi remains beloved by many and a mainstream singer.
- Burna Boy
Burna Boy is perhaps the Nigerian artist who has faced the most cancellation attempts, many of which stem from the singer’s behavior towards fans. However, Burna Boy has bounced back after every cancellation, even those that seemed like career-ending moments for the singer. The most recent case was the singer’s attitude towards a grieving fan who had fallen asleep at his concert in the U.S., and although the singer faced a lot of backlash, he has once again regained social status.
- Desmond Elliot
Actor and politician Desmond Elliot has faced criticism for several things, the most significant being backlash in October 2020 for advocating for the regulation of social media during the #EndSARS protests. He also faced backlash for other actions in his political career, including what people have termed mediocre things, such as the creation of a wooden bridge in his constituency.
What we think
Cancel culture is a phenomenon that is not going away anytime soon, though it has negative effects, as some people use it to target public figures they dislike. It is an important part of pop culture and social justice, and it enables people to hold problematic individuals and organisations accountable.
The positive impact of cancel culture far outweighs its negative effects. What is important is finding a balance between calling out celebrities for their actions and leaving space for them to unlearn, while also ensuring that celebrities who engage in irredeemable actions lose mainstream attention.
