On Wednesday, April 2, Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, better known as Portable, stirred controversy with his bold claim that fellow musician Zlatan Ibile is still an “up-and-coming” artist.
Portable made the statement during an interview on Echo Room, where he expressed his opinion that Zlatan’s music has yet to earn the approval of wealthy Nigerians due to its style. He further claimed that a car dealer once scolded him for “beefing” Zlatan, saying the rapper was merely using Portable’s name to gain attention.
Portable recounted, “Zlatan is an up-and-coming artist. There was a man I got a car from. I decided to change my car for my birthday, from one of the people I get cars from. He said I shouldn’t have answered Zlatan. He said Zlatan wanted to chase clout with my name. Then he said he didn’t even know his songs that he just started hearing his name.”
He continued, “A lot of wealthy people don’t know some of these artists’ lyrics. What are they singing? Are those songs? You cannot do call and response. Is that music? Are you joking?”
The statement has sparked a heated debate in the Nigerian music industry, with many questioning Portable’s intentions and whether this is a simple rivalry or a deeper critique of Zlatan’s musical impact.
