While the rest of the country is slowing down for the festive period, the Nigerian hip-hop scene is currently a battleground. What began as a local celebration of Skepta’s “Capital Machine” homecoming has mutated into a full-scale civil war between the “Industry Machine” himself, Tochukwu Ojogwu (Odumodublvck), 32, and the veteran architect of the modern lyricist movement, Gilbert Bani (A-Q).
What Happened?
The sparks flew on Sunday Dec. 21, just as the dust was settling from the high-octane show in Abuja. Odumodublvck, never one to let a sleeping dog lie, let alone a rival, took to X (formerly Twitter) to deliver a scathing appraisal of A-Q’s current relevance.
Odumodublvck wrote:
“ITS FOUR DAYS TO CHRISTMAS AND A-FOOL HAS NOT BEEN BOOKED FOR ONE SHOW. YET HE SAYS THAT HE IS THE LEADER OF HIP HOP. PLEASE STOP CONTAMINATING OUR DOCTRINES. HEADIES PLEASE TAKE NOTE, YOU CANNOT BE GIVING AWARDS TO PROPAGANDA ARTISTE.”
The “propaganda” jab is a direct hit at A-Q’s long-standing reputation as the “elder statesman” of Nigerian rap.
A-Q, a man who built his career on surgical lyrical precision, officially left Chocolate City in November 2020 to pursue an independent path and launch his own ventures. In return, the 39-year-old rapper fired back with a quoted response that read:
“You need the bookings; I don’t .You need Skepta to sell a show. You need the Big 2 to sell an album .You need Jeriq for the East. You’re obsessed with Blaq because your iniquity sleeps beside you every night and every day you have to face it. You are in the worst contract in the history of the Nigerian music business. You need those bookings to survive, yet you can’t shake the stench of poverty off you. Once a bum… Always and Forever a bum.”
The irony of this beef lies in the silverware. Both men have been validated by the Headies Awards, though they represent two entirely different eras and ideologies of Nigerian rap.
In 2021, A-Q won the prestigious Lyricist on the Roll for “The Last Cypher,” a win that cemented his status as the “purist’s” rapper. Fast forward to 2023, and Odumodublvck took home Best Rap Single for “Declan Rice” and the Rookie of the Year award.
In April 2025, Odumodublvck was crowned the Headies Next Rated at the 17th Headies Awards. While they haven’t won the exact same category, they are both Headies winners in the rap field.
Odumodu’s vitriol soon shifted towards the broader Chocolate City ecosystem. The Headies Next Rated Artist of The Year doubled down on his disdain for the “old guard,” taking a shot at the very foundation of the label by invoking the name of the legendary M.I. Abaga. In response, Odumodu sneered at the idea that he needed Skepta’s co-sign by invoking the name of the man who arguably built A-Q’s platform:
“SAYING I HAD TO USE SKEPTA. NO O…I FOR USE M.I.”
This wasn’t his first run-in with M.I. Earlier in November 2025, Odumodu shocked the industry by publicly “disowning” the legend. He also publicly criticised Chocolate City co-founder, accusing him of hypocrisy during his escalating rift with Blaqbonez.
By the night of December 21, the Abuja rapper had moved from attacking individuals to scorching the entire Chocolate City institution. In a post that read like a warning to future generations, the ‘If You Like Gym’ rapper declared:
“CHOCOLATE CITY DEVILISH ORGANIZATION. CHECK THEIR TRACK RECORD. IF YOU INVESTIGATE THE SOULS OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT LABEL. YOU WILL PITY THEM. GOODNIGHT MY PEOPLE. MAKE I GO BACK PERFORM. YOUR FAVORITE MADMAN.”
The Bigger Picture
The bitter label feud isn’t just Twitter talk. It involves the messy legal fallout between Native Records (Odumodu’s camp) and Chocolate City. To understand the sheer bitterness of this feud, one must look back at the “Big Kala” vs. “Emeka The Stallion” fallout. Blaqbonez, a Chocolate City pillar and formerly close associate of Odumodu, is the ghost in the machine here. What was once a friendly rivalry between the “Best Rapper in Africa” (Blaq) and the “Native World” leader (Odumodu), collaborators on hits like ‘Tesla Boy,’ soured in early 2025.
Odumodublvck & A-Q Trade Savage Christmas Roasts Amid Explosive Feud
