RismadarVoice Reporters
June 4, 2026
Nigerian rapper, CDQ has raised concerns over what he describes as the growing influence of informal power blocs within the country’s music industry, claiming that success is often tied to alignment with certain groups.
In a recent interview with content creator JBrandy, the “Nowo Soke” artiste alleged that the industry is dominated by what he referred to as “caucuses” or entrenched networks, suggesting that artists outside these circles often struggle to gain traction.
According to him, some musicians who manage to achieve mainstream success without any association with such groups should consider themselves fortunate.
“The music industry has become a place where you often need to belong to a particular caucus before you can get real support,” he said.
He further argued that artists who are not connected to these structures may end up investing heavily in their craft without receiving corresponding returns.
“If you don’t belong to a particular group, you might spend a lot of money and not see meaningful results,” he added.
CDQ also urged stakeholders in the entertainment sector, including artists and record label executives, to discourage what he described as unhealthy associations between the music business and gang-related affiliations, calling for a more transparent and merit-driven industry.
