Nigerian up-and-coming artist Oludipe Oluwasanmi David, known as Spyro and recognized for his song “Who’s Your Guy,” has faced criticism from skit maker Nasboi and music journalist Joey Akan for disparaging the lyrics of singer Shallipopi and other secular musicians.
Spyro, during a recent episode of the podcast “The Honest Bunch,” hosted by Nedu, voiced his disapproval of Shallipopi’s song lyrics, particularly those of his latest track, “Elon Musks.” He expressed concern that Shallipopi’s lyrics promote fraudulent activities and stressed the importance of songs carrying meaningful messages.
Joey Akan countered Spyro’s comments, highlighting the contradiction in Spyro’s actions. He pointed out that Spyro earns a living within the secular music industry but consistently criticizes his peers while professing his faith in Jesus.
Describing Spyro’s behavior as hypocritical, Joey stated:
“This young artist, Spyro, achieved his biggest hit by collaborating with artists who are associated with the secular world. He chose Tiwa Savage for a collaboration over his fellow faith-based colleagues. ‘Who’s Your Guy,’ a remix that could have featured Chioma Jesus and Dunsin Onyekan, was a missed opportunity.”
“Furthermore, he’s signed with a secular label, performs at secular events, including an upcoming promotion for Trophy, an alcoholic brand catering to nightlife and drinkers. Despite this, he relentlessly attacks his colleagues, their artistic output, and the themes of their songs, which often touch on escapism and reality.”
“Moreover, he collaborates with DJ Neptune and Iyanya, both prominent figures in the ‘worldly’ music scene. He also avoids appearing on gospel podcasts, preferring to seek recognition on secular platforms. All the while, he claims to disdain the secular music industry due to his dedication to Jesus.”
Joey concluded by labeling Spyro’s behavior as hypocritical, given his active involvement in and benefit from the secular music industry while simultaneously positioning himself as a follower of Jesus.
In addition to Joey’s critique, Nasboi expressed his disagreement on Instagram, questioning whether Spyro uses his music to promote Christianity. He commented, “Brooooooo, like!!! What’s your job? Music. Do you use your music to talk about Christ? NO! It’s off-putting to see you judge as a Christian. You talk too much, man.”
Numerous other individuals on social media also cautioned Spyro, advising him to curb his excessive talking as both a man and a music artist.
