DJ Tunez, Burna Boy, and members of the singer’s crew were allegedly involved in a physical altercation at a Lagos nightclub recently.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Nigerian DJ Association has directed its members to boycott all songs by ace Afrobeats singer Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, until further notice following his alleged altercation with popular disc jockey Michael Babatunde Adeyinka, aka DJ Tunez.
The association announced the temporary ban on Tuesday via a statement shared on Instagram.
Earlier, Burna Boy and members of his crew were alleged to have been involved in a physical altercation with DJ Tunez.
Eyewitness accounts circulating online claimed the incident took place inside a nightclub.
According to these reports, a disagreement escalated into a confrontation, and multiple individuals were said to have been involved in the scuffle in which DJ Tunez was reportedly assaulted.
Reacting to the development, the Nigerian DJ Association declared support for DJ Tunez, promising to investigate the saga.
The body added that, pending the probe, all Nigerian DJs in the country and the diaspora should remove all of Burna Boy’s songs from their playlists.
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The association also instructed members to maintain solidarity and uphold professionalism within the entertainment space.
The DJ body posted: “Dear NDJ, No one is born hating another because of their skin colour, religion, background, or gender. People simply learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can also be taught to love, since love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
“Please note: Here at NigerianDJ, we put all our DJs first, standing firm on the principle that ‘ALL DJs are EQUAL,’ and offering a transparent, personal service to help our DJs and clients achieve their goals and ambitions, both at home and in the diaspora.
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? Such are the places where every male and female #NDJ seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity without discrimination, irrespective of where it originates, be it from a fellow NDJ or a non-NDJ. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted #NDJ action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world of DJing in Nigeria as a whole.
“However, we plead with all #NDJ communities to please be tolerant—to reject prejudice based on caste, creed, sect, religion, or gender. Please ensure freedom and equality for all DJs nationwide so they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are being held back.
“The NigerianDJ is fully against the discrimination of any of its #NDJ.
“Burna Boy’s music is temporarily out of any of our DJs’ playlists until further notice. Our team will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident that occurred last night involving one of our own, DJ Tunez. We urge DJs in Nigeria as a whole to be vigilant and respectful toward any male or female artist at their events.”
As at the time of filing this report, Burna Boy and his management team had yet to make any official statement regarding the matter.
