Entertainment
Afrobeats Star Fola Apologises After First Headline Show Ends Abruptly
2025 Afrobeats breakout singer, Folarin Odunlami, with the stage name, Fola, has apologised to fans following the abrupt end of his first headline performance at the Mainland Block Party, which was halted over safety concerns after the venue reportedly exceeded its capacity.
The event, held on Monday, December 15, at the Balmoral Event Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, was disrupted after a large influx of fans led to overcrowding, rowdiness and reported safety breaches.
Attendance was said to have surpassed the venue’s approved capacity, prompting organisers to stop the show.
Several fans at the venue complained of poor coordination, with some ticket holders saying they were unable to gain access despite purchasing tickets sold in batches by the organisers.
Fola, who performed briefly before leaving the stage, later addressed the situation in an apology message shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday.
He explained that the decision to stop the performance was taken in the interest of safety.
“My people, I’m really sorry about how last night went,” the singer said, acknowledging the disappointment experienced by fans.
He added that reports of injuries were particularly troubling and should never have occurred at a live event.
“People were hurt and that should never happen. I had to stop the show because safety comes before anything else,” he said.
The singer further assured fans that their concerns had been noted and that steps were being taken to address the situation.
“I hear you on all fronts, and we’re working to make things right,” he added.
The concert, which was highly anticipated by fans of the 2025 Afrobeats breakout star known for songs such as Lost and Bye Bye, triggered backlash on social media, with criticism directed at both the artiste and the organisers over what many described as inadequate planning and poor crowd control.
In a separate statement on X (Formerly Twitter), Dangbana Republik, the record label Fola is signed to, acknowledged the lapses that led to the disruption and reiterated its commitment to fan safety.
“We acknowledge the serious safety issues that occurred at the event organised by Mainland Block Party,” the label said.
It noted that the venue’s capacity was exceeded, creating conditions it described as unsafe and unacceptable.
“The venue capacity was exceeded, resulting in unsafe conditions that should never have happened,” the statement said.
The label added that the performance was halted as soon as it became clear that fans were at risk, stressing that discussions were ongoing with the organisers.
“Once it became clear that fans were at risk, the performance was stopped immediately. We are working with the organisers to ensure adequate measures are taken to address the concerns of those affected. Your safety remains non-negotiable to us,” it added.
As of the time of filing this report, the organisers of the Mainland Block Party had yet to issue a separate statement addressing the incident.
Entertainment
What You Did Was Barbaric – Rarara Blasts Davido Over FIFA Performance
Famous Hausa praise singer Dauda Adamu Kahutu, popularly known as Rarara, has accused Afrobeats singer Davido of destroying Nigeria’s image. Daily voice reports that the singer stated this while reacting to a recent performance by Davido at the 2026 FIFA World Cup countdown concert.
During the concert, Davido appeared in a jacket bearing the inscription “Bring Them Home” and featuring the names of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
Reacting in a video posted on his verified Facebook page, Rarara argued that Davido’s action projected Nigeria’s image in a bad light.
He described the action as barbaric, warning that it could damage the country’s image.
Rarara said, “I do not usually reply or react to issues like this, but what Davido did was barbaric. In my opinion, Davido and those who share his way of thinking are only behaving foolishly.
“How can you promote Ansaru terrorists or insecurity-related issues to the whole world? How can you take a sensitive national security issue and project it to the world in a way that could damage the country’s image? What exactly do you stand to gain from doing that?
“Davido took the names of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, wrote them on the Nigerian flag and displayed it in America. What was the purpose? What did he hope to achieve? Or was it because he had turned the matter into politics?”
The Hausa praise singer alleged that the Afrobeats singer was only out to canvass support for his uncle, who is contesting an election on the platform of the Accord Party, and to paint the current administration black.
“Is it because his uncle is contesting an election on Accord party and Tinubu is in APC? Is that why insecurity must become a campaign tool? Anyone who campaigns with insecurity is insane, because he does not fully understand what it entails.
“What Davido did is similar to removing his own mother’s wrapper, taking a photograph of her and travelling to America to display it for the whole world to see, only to ask people to help cover her up again. What kind of thinking is that?” he said.
He warned that security matters are delicate and should not be handled casually without a proper understanding of the situation on the ground, claiming that the abduction of the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers followed the arrest of some terrorists by security operatives.
“Insecurity is not something people should casually jump into. There are facts and circumstances that ordinary members of the public may not know. Before speaking on such matters, one should understand the situation properly.
“Did Davido know the reason behind the abduction of those schoolchildren? Some terrorists were arrested. When efforts to secure their release failed, the kingpins kidnapped innocent people in an attempt to force the authorities to negotiate.
“The President and security agencies had vowed that the terrorists would not be released and that the children would be rescued. It was during this delicate period that Davido chose to embarrass us on a global stage.
“You cannot go to China and promote issues the authorities do not want promoted. The same applies in many other countries. There are limits. But some of our content creators continue to promote narratives that, in my opinion, end up helping terrorists.
“Some content creators do not understand the implications of what they are doing, while others do. Some are sponsored by politicians, while others are simply chasing engagement and followers,” he said.
Entertainment
The Grammys Are Changing The Rules In 2027, Here Are The Biggest Updates Artists Should Know
The Recording Academy has announced new categories and several rule changes ahead of the 2027 Grammy Awards. Best New Artist eligibility has been expanded, while members can now vote in more categories through a new Ballot Plus option. The updates also include changes to album eligibility and greater recognition for songwriters and composers.
The Recording Academy has announced a set of updates to the Grammy Awards ahead of the 69th ceremony, which is scheduled to air on February 7, 2027. The changes touch everything from how new artists qualify to how voters cast their ballots, and a few of them are significant enough to reshape who gets nominated and who gets recognised.
This is the headline change. Previously, an artist could only be submitted for Best New Artist consideration a maximum of three times across their career. That limit has now been raised to four. Why does it matter? Because under the old rules, some artists who have been building their careers steadily over several years were getting locked out of the category by the time they broke through big enough to be genuine contenders.
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Billboard noted that likely frontrunners for the next cycle, including Ella Langley and Megan Moroney, may not have been eligible under the previous limit. The extra submission buys developing artists more runway.
Five new categories are being added
Best Asian Pop Music Performance is the most significant new addition. It covers K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and other Asian pop formats performed meaningfully in Asian languages. Given how dominant K-pop has become globally, this has been a long time coming.
Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance splits what was previously a single R&B performance category into two. Going forward, solo R&B performances compete separately from collaborative ones. Best R&B Solo Performance is the renamed version of what existed before.
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Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance carves out a lane for classic, old-school pop that does not fit comfortably alongside contemporary pop sounds. Think standards, torch songs, that kind of thing.
Best Traditional Folk Album does the same for folk music, separating heritage folk recordings from the more contemporary folk and Americana sound. The existing Best Folk Album category becomes Best Contemporary Folk Album.
Best Latin Song rounds out the additions, recognising songwriters specifically, not performers, behind newly written Spanish-language Latin songs.
Voters can now cover more ground
Members need to submit verified professional credits to qualify. Those who do not opt in simply stay on the existing ballot structure.
A few other notable tweaks
Songwriters and composers will now receive Grammy statuettes when their albums win genre categories, putting them on equal footing with producers and engineers who already received that recognition.
It is a small but meaningful acknowledgment of a group that has historically been overlooked in how the awards are physically distributed.
Entertainment
Actor Baba Ijesha Welcomes Baby Boy
Actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has announced the birth of his son.
The actor disclosed this in an Instagram post on Monday, sharing a maternity photoshoot featuring himself and his wife.
Expressing gratitude to God, Baba Ijesha revealed that the couple welcomed a baby boy named King Kagar Omiyinka.
He wrote, “In quiet ways, in unseen ways, God has been writing a story only He could tell. We thank the Almighty for blessing us with a healthy baby boy.
“God gave me more than I prayed for. My ever beautiful wife, strong Jagaban, Abikese de mi owo, @ceolumineeofficial, who became the mother of my son, King Kagar Omiyinka.”
The announcement attracted congratulatory messages from fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry.
Baba Ijesha was released from prison in November 2025 after serving a jail term following his conviction in a child sexual assault case.
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