Veteran Rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem has clarified that his latest track, “Tell Your Papa,” was not intended as a personal attack on Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but a direct response to a comment he made praising his father.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds, Abdulkareem explained that the song was sparked by Seyi Tinubu’s recent statement calling his father “Nigeria’s best-ever president.”
“Why would I go after Seyi personally?” the rapper asked. “If he hadn’t made that comment, there wouldn’t be a song. That video inspired me. If he had stayed silent, I wouldn’t have reacted.
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Abdulkareem emphasized that the song’s message goes beyond Seyi Tinubu, serving as a call on the president to address urgent national issues including insecurity, poor electricity supply, unemployment, and widespread poverty.
“Nigerian youths are not asking for too much,” he said. “They just want stable electricity, security, job opportunities, and a better economy—not handouts.”
Seyi Tinubu made the remarks in Yola, Adamawa State, in March 2025, triggering a wave of reactions across social media. Abdulkareem’s response came through the single “Tell Your Papa,” which quickly stirred both criticism and support.
On April 10, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) banned the song from all radio and TV stations, citing breaches of broadcast regulations. The ban drew public condemnation, including from Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, who called the move a dangerous reemergence of censorship.
“Censoring the song only gave it more attention,” Soyinka said.
Reflecting on his earlier protest anthem “Nigeria Jaga Jaga,” released in 2004, Abdulkareem expressed dismay that the song’s themes remain painfully relevant today.
Despite the broadcast ban, “Tell Your Papa” has surged in popularity online, amassing tens of thousands of streams within days of its release.
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