Nigerian singer Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka known by his stage name Chike has alleged that Apple Music Nigeria top songs chart has been highly compromised. He asserted that the top 10 and 20 list are frequently rigged through paid promotion.
In recent interview on the show ‘Curiosity Made Me Ask’ hosted by content creator Bae U Barbie, the song writer and singer revealed that artistes can influence their chart positions by paying to boost streams.
He stated that he could top Apple Music chart by just asking his team to pay to boost his streams.
He specifically mentioned that the top 10 and top 20 charts are heavily rigged.
He however, explained that there are some exceptions.
“Your Top 10 and Top 20 on Apple Music is rigged… Not all the time to be fair but most times”.
“But will you even call it rigged? I think people are willing to do certain things in the name of promotion. Because I think with all the music going on around now is about visibility. If you don’t take it to people, they might not really see it,” he said.
“Right now, if I want to be top 10 on Apple Music, I can tell my guys ‘okay please spend $30,000’ and we will go to top 10. But then it’s not real. And don’t get me wrong, not everybody. But most times that’s actually what’s going on. So I’m not going to be spending to cancel against sometimes even people that have more money than me,”he further said.
The singer gained prominence by participating in the Nigerian reality competition ‘Project Fame West in Africa’. Chike had also been cast by Africa Magic to play the role of Mayowa Badmus in a television drama entitled Battleground in April 2017.
Chike had announced his third studio album, ‘Son of Chike’ released on July 19, 2024. The album includes 12 tracks, such as “Unto You,” “Lifetime Love,” and “Ego Oyibo.” It features collaborations with prominent Nigerian artists like Olamide and Ladipoe.
He described the album as a deeply personal project that reflects his cultural heritage and experiences.
