Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has accused popular radio stations Cool FM Nigeria and CloudAfrica FM of blacklisting her music after she failed to attend one of their events. The 35-year-old artist shared her grievances on X, revealing that Cool FM had invited her to perform at their December 2023 event, but she was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
After reaching out to apologize, Alade claims her efforts to resolve the issue were ignored. She alleges that the radio stations’ management, led by Serge Noujaim and Joseph Adamu, retaliated by removing her entire music catalogue from their playlists. This meant that her songs, both past and present, were no longer played on their platforms.
In a series of posts, Alade expressed her frustration, writing, “Mr Serge and Mr Joseph, this life is not hard like that. WE SEE YOU… I SEE YOU @cloutafrica @CoolFMNigeria. This world is a small village. My God will fight for me… Una dey forms gatekeepers in 2024.” She also called out the stations for their actions, stating, “Since December 2023, I personally reached out in January. You are still refusing to play my music and giving my team a hard time.”
Alade accused the stations of intimidation, stating they were trying to “play God” by refusing to resolve the situation. She further criticized them for removing her entire music catalogue without offering an opportunity for communication or clarification.
Her public outcry has sparked conversations about the influence of media gatekeepers in the Nigerian music industry.
