Singer, Portable Advises Nigerian Artists Amidst Grammy Loss

Controversial Nigerian artiste Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has made seemingly sarcastic remarks about his colleagues, including Ahmed Ololade, aka Asake, and other Nigerian artistes who did not win at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The artistes lost the Best African Music Performance category to South Africa’s Tyla with her song “Water”.

Asake and Olamide got a nomination for their hit track ‘Amapiano’.

Although Portable did not mention name, he indirectly aimed the dig especially at Asake who is well recognised for singing Amapiano beat in Nigeria.

Also about two weeks earlier, Portable had made a video where he was mocking Asake, saying, “lonely at the top.”

In the recent viral video, he said “Make una too promote afro, when afro blow, you go blow too.”

He advised that artistes should go back to afro and call themselves ‘Afronation’.

Portable also said that if Afro did not ‘blow,’ “Nigerian artistes cannot collect [win] Grammy. South Africans have won Grammy, so leave them alone. The amapiano beat doesn’t belong to Nigerians, it belongs to the South Africans.”

This video came two days after Nigerian Grammy award nominees: Davido, Burna boy, Asake and Ayra starr failed to win the grammy award.

Portable concluded by saying “Ti afro o ba blow, e o le gba Grammy” translating to If Afro does not blow, you cannot win the grammy award.