Nigerian Afrobeats singer and rapper Jeremiah Chukwuebuka Ani, professionally known as Jeriq, has expressed confidence that artists who perform mainly in Igbo will one day sell out major arenas in the Western world, just as Asake has done with music rooted in the Yoruba language.
The rapper made the remarks during a recent appearance on The Vybz TV Cartel podcast, where he spoke about language, culture, and global music appeal.
Drawing a comparison with Asake’s rise, Jeriq said the use of indigenous languages should not be seen as a limitation but a strength.
“The way Asake is doing everything with the Yoruba language, I believe that somebody will sell out a stadium either in the U.S. or Paris with the Igbo language,” he said.
In the podcast, Jeriq also dismissed the long-held perception that Igbo artists fail to support one another within the music industry, describing the claim as untrue and misleading.
According to him, many of the people who have played key roles in his career are fellow Igbo musicians.
“The narrative that Igbo people don’t help each other is a fallacy,” he said.
“Flavour, for example, has supported a lot of artists, including several rising Igbo acts who are now doing well because of his co-sign.”
The rapper revealed that he personally benefited from Flavour’s support, citing his hit song Oluoma as a major example.
“My biggest song ever is Oluoma. Who gave me the verse? Flavour. He didn’t collect a dime from me, and the numbers don’t lie,” he stated.
Jeriq further praised both Flavour and Phyno for their generosity, noting that neither artist charged him for collaborations, despite industry norms.
“I’ve done three songs with Phyno and one hit with Flavour. They never collected a dime from me. Other artists send contracts and split sheets, but these ones worked with me freely,” he added.
