Many Nigerian artists in debt because of frivolous spending – Bella Shmurda

Afrobeats star Bella Shmurda has addressed the issue of reckless spending among Nigerian artists, pointing out how it negatively impacts their finances.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, the Cash App singer revealed that many artists struggle to fund their projects independently due to spending excessively on unnecessary luxuries. He admitted to falling into the same trap early in his career but has since adjusted his approach.

Shmurda emphasized that building a successful brand doesn’t require splurging on flashy cars and expensive jewelry, adding that maintaining a simple lifestyle can also be an effective form of branding.

He said, “I don’t think packaging has to be materialistic. Having good clothes on you, looking nice, nice skin, brushing your teeth, smelling well is okay, if you know how to dress without chains. I mean some of us don’t have these things before, and we looked good. This guy doesn’t have a chain on, and he looks good. He’s not dirty. I mean, that’s packaged enough for your purpose.

“It’s because of the too much emphasis on expensive packaging that our young artists now run towards advances and they end up being indebted to those companies. And the companies have to hold their catalogue for years. It’s because of these materials things that they go into debts. They can’t even fund their next project because they do use their money buy big motor. I made that mistake too but I learnt. And I feel like we just have to educate ourselves about these things.”