Shallipopi Accuses Dapper of Withholding Royalties From 46 Songs Worth Over $1 Million

Nigerian music star Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi, has accused music executive Dapper Music of withholding royalties from 46 of his songs, claiming the outstanding earnings are worth more than $1 million.

The singer made the allegations on Friday through posts on X, as a growing dispute between the artiste and his former music executive resurfaced publicly.

Shallipopi alleged that Dapper was holding royalty income from 46 songs, including his hit track “E Don Cast.” He also claimed that his music catalogue had been taken to Virgin Music in a deal for which he said he had not received proper financial accounting.

In one of his posts, the singer accused Dapper of holding money belonging to him and questioned what had happened to the earnings generated from his music catalogue.

Shallipopi also threatened to report the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that his catalogue had been sold without adequate accounting for the proceeds.

The latest accusations come amid renewed criticism of Dapper Music by several former or current artistes associated with the label. T.I Blaze and Seyi Vibez have also made separate allegations concerning unpaid royalties, contracts and the handling of music catalogues.

T.I Blaze, for instance, questioned how certain music catalogues and intellectual property were licensed and raised concerns about revenues he claimed remained unexplained. Seyi Vibez also criticised Dapper and alleged that money generated from his own music had been used in the label’s wider business activities.

The dispute highlights the growing importance of transparency in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding music business, particularly around streaming revenues, publishing rights, licensing deals and ownership of music catalogues.

Shallipopi previously left Dapper Music and later continued his career through other business arrangements. His departure from the label had already generated public discussion about contracts, royalties and the relationship between Nigerian artistes and music executives. Dapper Music previously maintained that it was committed to fairness and transparency in its dealings with artistes.

The latest $1 million claim, however, remains an allegation from Shallipopi, and the exact amount allegedly owed has not been independently established. As of the latest reports, Dapper Music and its CEO had not publicly responded to the new allegations.

If the dispute escalates to formal legal or regulatory proceedings, the contracts, royalty statements, licensing agreements and records of catalogue transactions could become central to determining how much money is actually owed and who has rights over the affected songs.

For now, Shallipopi’s claims have added fresh attention to a long-running conversation about financial accountability and artist rights within Nigeria’s music industry.