Nigerian music stars Davido and Erigga have been dragged into a fresh social media controversy after a seemingly general post about artistes who built their careers without family wealth triggered a fiery response from the Afrobeats superstar.
The drama began when Erigga, writing through his X handle, @erigganewmoney, celebrated musicians who did not come from wealthy backgrounds and had to work their way to the top.
Erigga gave a shout-out to artistes who did not come from “family money” and had to grind for every dollar they earned.
Although he did not mention Davido by name, the post quickly attracted attention because Davido is the son of billionaire businessman Adedeji Adeleke.
Davido Responds to Erigga’s Post
Davido, through his X handle @davido, appeared to take the message personally and fired back, saying Erigga should also recognise those who came from family money but still worked hard to achieve success.
The singer’s response quickly became more aggressive as he described Erigga’s post as “useless motivation” and referred to the rapper as an “imbecile.”
The exchange has since triggered a heated debate over whether being born into wealth diminishes an artiste’s achievements or whether individuals from privileged backgrounds can still legitimately describe themselves as hardworking and self-made.
Erigga Fires Back
Erigga, however, was not prepared to let the matter slide.
Responding to the backlash, the rapper questioned why Davido appeared to have interpreted his message as a personal attack when his name was never mentioned.
He wrote:
“Na shoutout to the ones when get it out the mud without family money dey make David crash out?”
In another post, Erigga mocked Davido as the “Ambassador of RICH KIDS” and questioned whether the singer was attempting to bully or oppress him.
“NA ME U WAN BULLY? NA ME U WAN OPPRESS?”
The controversy became even more sensitive after Erigga posted a message referencing people on the autism spectrum and those with Down syndrome, stressing that it was never acceptable to insult people with diseases or medical conditions.
Davido and Erigga’s Previous Relationship
The latest confrontation is particularly interesting because there is no widely established history of a prolonged feud between Davido and Erigga.
In fact, Erigga previously spoke positively about Davido during one of the biggest Nigerian music fan wars.
In 2020, when fans of Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy were engaged in fierce online battles, Erigga urged Nigerians to stop choosing sides and said people could love all three artistes without having to fight over them.
“But do you know you can love Davido, love Wizkid still add Burna and you will not die?”
That old comment has resurfaced amid the current dispute, with some fans pointing to the irony of Erigga, who once defended Davido’s place in Nigerian music, now exchanging heated words with him.
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Fans Debate Privilege and Hard Work
The argument has also exposed a deeper class debate within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
While Davido’s supporters argue that coming from a wealthy family may provide opportunities, it does not automatically guarantee musical success, longevity or global recognition, Erigga’s supporters maintain that artistes who build their careers without financial backing deserve recognition for overcoming a different set of challenges.
Some X users have questioned Davido’s reaction altogether because Erigga did not specifically name him in the original post.
One user, @Mautiin01, questioned how Davido knew the message was directed at him, while @Shandymoney bluntly told Erigga to simply mention Davido.
On the other side, Davido’s supporters argued that wealthy artistes can still work hard and deserve credit for their accomplishments.
@CrystalReignz defended Davido’s efforts, arguing that nobody should undermine the work he put into his career simply because he was born into privilege.
Another user, @Feyitayo2724, similarly argued that being born into a wealthy family does not mean a person cannot work hard to build something of their own.
A Wider Debate Over Being ‘Self-Made’
The controversy has now moved beyond two musicians trading insults.
It has become a broader debate about privilege, class, opportunity and what Nigerians really mean when they describe an artiste as “self-made.”
Perhaps the most controversial question remains the one that started it all: if Erigga was not talking about Davido, why did Davido appear to feel so targeted?
For now, neither side appears willing to completely back down, leaving fans to debate whether Erigga fired a subtle shot that Davido caught or whether the singer simply inserted himself into a conversation that was never about him.
