It is no news that the music industry thrives on beef and feuds between prominent artists. Some would say it is prevalent in Hip Hop more than any other genre. Others would say that the genre doesn’t matter so long as the artists are famous and have a large fan base to support and defend them.
In 2022, one topic that dominated social media was that of Seyi Vibez and Asake. Fans of the two have noted apparent similarities, especially in their music, and have pointed them out on social media. It first started when Nigerian music fans pointed out that Seyi Vibez made a similar kind of music as Asake.
After months of waiting, the YBNL singer released his debut studio album, “Mr. Money With The Vibe” in September 2022. He had previously released the EP “Ololade Asake.” The album hit the top of the charts in several countries, including Nigeria, and amassed millions of streams in several days. It featured his earlier releases, including “Terminator,” “Sungba (Remix)” featuring Burna Boy, and “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY).”
The album gained massive attention from fans of Afrobeats and Amapiano in Nigeria and worldwide. Asake is famous for mixing elements of Afrobeats and Amapiano. The album also earned shout-outs from several South African Amapiano stars. Two months after the release, Seyi Vibez dropped the album “Billion Dollar Baby.”
Fans of Asake immediately noted that most of the songs on the album sounded like rip-offs from Asake’s “Mr. Money With The Vibe.” The project housed the hit song “Chance (Na Ham),” a replica of Asake’s massive hit “Organize.” Music fans pointed out that the Amapiano-inspired jam had a similar hook as “Organize,” and Seyi Vibez’s flow was the same as Asake’s. This led to a debate on social media about who was better between the two artists.
Asake fans have called the comparison an insult to the singer because, in their opinion, Seyi Vibez was the one who had copied his musical style. The back-and-forth was on for a bit until the end of 2022. You’d think it passed with the year, but it didn’t. It is still a trending topic in the country today.
Note that Seyi returned with the continuation of the “Billion Dollar Baby” album, titled “Billion Dollar Baby 2.0,” making him the Nigerian artist with the fastest accumulation of number albums in the country.
The debate between the two fan bases was recently stirred up again following a hilarious feud between Nigerian Street Hop singer Portable and music video director TG Omori, who is best known for collaborating with Asake and some famous videos of songs from “Mr. Money With The Vibe.” A bitter Portable (who previously complained about Omori’s charges) called the video director out on social media for filming a music video for Seyi Vibez, who, in his own words, “is copying” his frequent client Asake.
Portable don warn Seyi Vibes.. say make him no dey copy Asake again. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/bGdnIzrJk8
— Alabi (@the_Lawrenz) January 31, 2023
He accused TG Omori of “seeing Asake finish” and running to work with Seyi Vibez because he’s currently trending. He also claimed that Seyi “copies Asake’s pattern.” He said, “copy copy, do your own pattern.” The video went viral and kicked off another comparison between the two. Several fans have noted that Asake almost sounded like Seyi Vibez in his new song “Yoga.”
Now, here’s our verdict.
It is evident that there are similarities between the two artists. A clear example is heard in the songs “Organize” and “Chance (Na Ham).” However, they are both hardworking artists, and until Asake’s label YBNL Nation decides to take legal action against Seyi Vibez, it wouldn’t be a problem as long as they both benefit from it.
As for who’s bigger, Asake is. He has amassed over a billion streams across various platforms and sold thousands of records even in the US and the UK.