Speed Darlington, the Nigerian rapper, has been granted bail after nearly a month in police custody.

The rapper was arrested on November 27 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo state.

Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, had alleged that Burna Boy, the Afrofusion star, was responsible for the rapper’s arrest.

Darlington had taunted Burna Boy over his affiliation with the embattled US rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ who is facing multiple charges for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

He asked Burna Boy to explain how he won the Grammy award for his album ‘Twice As Tall’ — a project executive produced by Diddy. He claimed there was a sexual relationship between the duo.

Stan Alieke, the legal representative of Darlington, earlier revealed that weeks after the rapper’s arrest, the police had denied him access to bail.

The lawyer also called on the law enforcement agency not to “trample on my client’s constitutional rights”.

But in an Instagram post on Monday, Alieke disclosed that his client had been granted bail.

“Apki has been granted bail by the court,” he wrote without including much information.

Spotify has released the data for the most streamed artists outside Nigeria in 2024.

On the list shared by Spotify, Grammy winner Burna Boy is the Nigerian artist with the most streams outside Nigeria. For the past couple of years, the hitmaker has been at the forefront of exporting Nigerian music globally.

Burna Boy’s feat is a testament to his global popularity which has made him the only African artist with 3 albums surpassing over 500 million streams.

Second on the list is Grammy-nominated star Ayra Starr who enjoyed a good year thanks to the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album ‘The Year I Turned 21’ which enjoyed critical and commercial success.

The album features a star-studded lineup that includes Asake, Seyi Vibez, American singer Giveon and Coco Jones, and Brazilian star Aniita.

Rema is the third most exported Nigerian artist of 2024. His hit single ‘Calm Down’ continues to enjoy global success, especially in the United States where it became the first African song to garner 1 billion streams.

This year, Rema released his sophomore LP ‘HEIS’ which is one of the most talked about albums of 2024. The album buoyed by its upper tempo arrangement, pulsating production, and aggressive chest thumping delivered the bit records ‘Ozeba’, ‘Hehehe’, and ‘Azaman’.

Tems (4) and Omah Lay (5) rounds off the top 5. Grammy winner Tems enjoyed a successful year on the global front with the release of her debut album ‘Born In The Wild’ which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Album.

Top 10 exported Nigerian Artists on Spotify in 2024

1. Burna Boy
2. Ayra Starr
3. Rema
4. Tems
5. Omah Lay
6. Asake
7. Wizkid 
8. Davido
9. Fireboy
10. Victony

American talent manager Jada Pollock, popularly known as Jada P, has asserted that she is far more than just singer Wizkid’s “babymama,” a title often used by the media.

Speaking in a recent interview with BET UK, Jada P lamented that her accomplishments as an entrepreneur and professional in the music industry have been largely overshadowed by her role as the mother of Wizkid’s children.

Jada P highlighted her career achievements, noting that she has managed international artists such as Chris Brown, Wizkid, and Skyla Tyla.

She described herself as a dedicated businesswoman and music manager actively contributing to the growth of the industry.

“When Wizkid won a Grammy, I wrote a statement about how far afrobeat has come. They put the statement out, and the caption was ‘Wizkid baby mama.’ The narrative is not seen as you’re an entrepreneur and hardworking businesswoman. I’m not only a mother but also a manager, who has actively contributed to building a legacy,” she said.

She further emphasised her role in managing top-tier artists, adding, “Some of the artists I have managed are Chris Brown, Wizkid & Skyla Tyla, etc.”