Nigerian star Bella Shmurda has paid tribute to the late Afrobeats singer MohBad while criticising Marlian Records, the label MohBad had been signed to.
The Afrobeats singer was one of Nigeria’s emerging talents, and songs such as ‘Ponmo’ and ‘Feel Good’ have become hits. MohBad was signed to Marlain Records – a label that was created by Nigerian singer Naira Marley – but left the label in 2022.
After MohBad’s sudden passing earlier this month, fans aimed their anger at both Marley and Marlain Records, due to past “fears, pains and ordeals” the singer dealt with after leaving the label. A petition with more than 126,000 signatures was created in Nigeria calling for the ban of the label.
Speaking up in a statement, Marley said that though he and MohBad had “disagreements, no harm whatsoever was wished on Mohbad”.
Shmurda took to his official X/Twitter page to share his thoughts and break his silence. “In the past few days, I have tried my best not to carry phone and type anything but Mohbad spirit won’t let me rest knowing I’m the only one make his spirit calm,” he tweed.
He then went on to take issue with “those of them who make him live in fear nd almost with nothing to feed on,” Shmurda called for Marlian Records to be arrested and said that the Nigerian authorities are “too weak as body to fish this people out.”
In the past few days have tried my best not to carry phone nd type anything but Mohbad spirit won’t let me rest knowing I’m the only one make his spirit calm by making those of them who make him live in fear nd almost with nothing to feed on never also get rest nd he don start…
— Yxng Alhaji 💐 (@BellaShmurda) September 17, 2023
It was recently announced that Lagos State Police Comand have set up a 13-man special investigation team to look into the sudden and mysterious death of MohBad.
“Do not forget, we have unique access with INTERPOL. Everybody linked to it (the death of Mohbad) will be identified and they will be brought to establish their level of involvement,” Lagos State Commissioner, Idowu Owohunwa said today (September 18).