Obi Asika: Eedris’ career-ending clash with 50 Cent, a sacrifice for our artistes

Obi Asika, the music executive, has claimed Eedris Abdulkareem, the ace rapper, put his career in line in 2004 to protect the new generation of Afrobeats artistes.

50 Cent and Eedris were scheduled to perform at a concert in Port Harcourt, Rivers in 2004.

Eedris was allegedly assaulted by 50 Cent’s associates at the Lagos airport after a dispute over seating in the first-class section.

In February, Eedris argued that the infamous incident was the “most beautiful sacrifice” that birthed success for the new-generation artistes.

He claimed that 50 Cent’s entourage “flogged” and “chased away” several Nigerian artistes, including Psquare.

The rapper’s comment sparked varying reactions from his colleagues and music lovers.

Sharing his two cents in an interview with HipTV, the music mogul said Eedris’ clash with 50 Cent could be likened to “taking a bullet for other artistes coming behind him”.

Asika claimed the 2004 incident “ended his career” because event organisers “saw him as a trouble maker”.

“The basic situation was this, Nigerian brands did not respect Nigerian artistes. They made Nigerian talents feel like they had to beg to get on stage. They diminished them. And they did it to the musicians, the comedians, and into the Nollywood,” he said.

“… Eedris was one of the biggest artistes in the country. And he came to the show and told them he wanted the same rights as 50 Cent. Not the same money, he was not going to get the same money. They did a show in Lagos, there was a chartered plane to take them to Benin or Port Harcourt.

“So when they got onto the plane, 50 Cent was not even there when this thing happened. To clarify, 50 did not do anything physically to anyone. But 50 was going to be involved in the repercussion. Eedris gets on the plane and wants to sit down in the business class because he wants to talk to the artiste. Maybe talk about collaboration, and build relationships. That is what artistes do. But the philosophy of the local brand was separation.

“They go and ask the agency guys. And the agency guys said remove him. He is not supposed to be there. They physically removed Eedris and took him off the plane. By the time 50 Cent arrived, they just saw this guy over there who they did not know, screaming and cursing anybody on that plane.

“What he did, he took a bullet for other artistes coming behind him. Because they ended his career. After that whole thing happened, you did not see him again… like he is a troublemaker but he is not a troublemaker.”

Asika claimed the incident made 50 Cent leave the country without performing for the rest of the show.