Olamide Defends Wizkid G.O.A.T. Remark Amid Fan Backlash

Ace Nigerian rapper and YBNL boss, Olamide Adedeji, popularly known as Olamide Baddo, has responded to the intense backlash sparked by his recent declaration that his colleague Wizkid is “the greatest Afrobeats artist after Fela.” The comment, made during a press conference in Toronto, Canada, ignited the long-running and often fierce social media debate among fans of Afrobeats’ “Big Three”—Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy—with supporters of the latter two immediately countering Olamide’s bold claim and criticizing him for making a divisive statement.

Addressing the ensuing controversy on his X handle on Friday, Olamide chose to preach unity and perspective over rivalry. He maintained that every individual is entitled to their own opinion, stressing that the industry is vast enough for all successful artists to thrive. Olamide used a philosophical analogy, writing that there is “plenty of room in the sky for everyone” and that the continuous argument does nothing to diminish any artist’s achievements, whether they are A-list or otherwise.

In his statement, Olamide sought to contextualize the fan war by offering insight into the mindset of the artists at the centre of the debate. He suggested that Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid themselves are not concerned with the public’s attempts to rank them. He explained that these successful artists are too focused and mature to take offence at someone else’s opinion or perspective, regardless of who is named superior. This maturity, Olamide implied, is part of the reason they have reached the heights of global stardom they currently enjoy.

Olamide’s full post read: “Honestly, this whole lengthy 3-way conversation is pretty much whatever. You can’t diminish anyone’s greatness, whether they’re A-list, B-list, or anything else. Feel free to believe what you want or support whoever you choose—there’s plenty of room in the sky for everyone. However, one thing to remember is that Burna, David, and Wiz aren’t narrow-minded enough to get offended by someone else’s opinion or perspective. That’s part of why they’ve reached where they are today.” The message was a clear call for calm and an attempt to refocus the conversation away from fan-driven toxicity and towards acknowledging the collective global success of Afrobeats as a genre.