M.I Abaga says Yahoo Boys are bankrolling Nigerian music — and it’s a National Shame

Veteran rapper M.I Abaga isn’t mincing words about where a big chunk of Nigeria’s music money comes from.

Speaking on the So Nigerian podcast, the Hip Hop star said it’s “an indictment” that many artists rely on funding from internet fraudsters — plus overseas investors — instead of homegrown support.

“There’s a lot of controversy when people talk about Yahoo Yahoo,” M.I said. “But for a lot of artists, that’s the funding they have. It’s sad that our most talented musicians are being bankrolled by fraud and foreign money. It means something is broken.”

M.I called on wealthy Nigerians to invest in the country’s creative industry, saying right now it’s mostly young people financially supporting other young talents.