Controversial artiste, Habeeb Okikiola, professionally known as Portable, has revealed that the money he earned from his breakout single, ‘Zazuu Zeh’ did not exceed N3 million.
The street-hop singer said he wa ripped off by people in the industry because he was still up-and-coming and did not realise how things work in the Nigerian entertainment scene.
He hit the limelight in December 2021 after Poco Lee introduced him to rapper, Olamide who then hopped on the remix of Zazuu.
The singer was interviewed on The Echo Roon where he talked about all the things he endured in the first few months as a bubbling artiste.
Portable said he has been defrauded of of N5million and N3million by different people who wanted to exploit him at the time.
He said the N3 million he made from Zazuu when it was a trending song is what he used to buy his his Toyota Camry.
According to him, the reason he could not make more than that amount is because he single handedly took care of everybody on the team which includes a manager, promoter and their own workers.
He said that he would fuel the promoter’s car, feed him and also take care of his boys, adding that anytime he visits a boutique to buy clothes, they would follow him, and he’d buy for them as well.
Watch the interview:
In other news, Mavin Records CEO, Michael Ajaere, popularly known as Don Jazzy, has said he advises his signees to learn from Portable’s controversial personality.
Don Jazzy said he uses the Zazuu star as an example whenever he is talking to his artistes about how to remain relevant in the music industry.
The music executive stated this while being interviewed by Joey Akan on Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast.
He also did a comparitive analysis of BNXN (formerly Buju) and Portable who both became big stars in 2021.
Don Baba J noted that at the time Portable hit the limelight with his breakout song, Zazuu Zeh, courtesy of Olamide, BNXN already had 7 songs on the charts but the controversial singer’s followers grew to a million faster.
He further explained that it is the fact he always does controversial or debatable things that puts him in the news which makes him to still be relevant even if he does not release songs.
The Mavin boss said when he’s having meetings with his team, he makes them it is not just about dropping good music and relaxing. He said that he makes realise the algorithm will favour them if they put themselves out there and do things that will make their names come up in conversations like Portable does.
