Erigga, Davido Trade Words Online Over Family Wealth and Grind in Nigerian Music
A social media dispute between Nigerian rapper Erigga and Afrobeats star Davido over family wealth and hard work in the music industry has escalated into a public back-and-forth, reigniting online debate about class, privilege, and effort within Nigeria’s entertainment scene.
The exchange began on September 1, 2026, when Erigga, whose real name is Erhiga Agarivbie, posted a message on X appreciating musicians who built their careers without financial backing from wealthy families, describing such artists as having had to grind for every dollar they earned. Although the post did not name any specific artist, many observers interpreted it as an indirect jab at musicians from privileged backgrounds, including Davido, whose father, businessman Deji Adeleke, is widely known to be wealthy.
Davido responded the following day, quoting Erigga’s post and pushing back on its framing, arguing that musicians who come from family wealth also deserve recognition for the work they put in to reach the top of their careers. He went further in a follow-up post, dismissing Erigga’s message as unhelpful motivation and directing a sharply worded insult at the rapper. In further remarks, Davido questioned why anyone would view poverty favourably and suggested he could eventually step away from music altogether to focus on building greater wealth.
Erigga responded with a series of posts on September 3, pushing back on the suggestion that his original message had been targeted at Davido specifically, given that it had named no one, and accusing the singer of trying to bully him over what he characterised as a minor issue. The rapper went on to label Davido an “Ambassador of Rich Kids” in the course of the exchange, further fuelling the online back-and-forth between the two artists.
The dispute continued to escalate in the following hours, with Davido sharing a cryptic follow-up post on X that many fans and commentators interpreted as a further dig at Erigga, a message that reportedly drew thousands of reactions and millions of views within hours. Fans also resurfaced an old post from Erigga dating back to the early 2020s in which he had expressed a desire to collaborate with Davido, adding another layer to the unfolding exchange.
Reactions to the feud have been sharply divided across social media, with some users siding with Erigga’s emphasis on the struggles faced by musicians without wealthy backers, drawing on his own reputation as a self-made artist from Warri, Delta State, who built his career independently. Others defended Davido, arguing that coming from a privileged background does not automatically diminish the effort and work an artist puts into building a successful career and global brand.
The public disagreement adds to a growing list of online spats involving prominent figures in Nigeria’s music industry this year, with the conversation around family wealth, privilege, and hard work likely to remain a recurring talking point among fans as both artists continue to address the fallout on social media.
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