Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, also known as M.I, has claimed that Nigerian celebrities are usually too focused on how they are being perceived.
The rapper, in an interview With Chude Jideonwo, stated that celebrities are constantly under pressure from fans to live a flamboyant lifestyle. He added that he made the conscious decision not to be give into the pressure that comes from being ‘broke shamed’.
When I understood that people in Nigeria tend to broke shame celebrities, I had to make a decision if I want to let that have power over me. Because if you don’t deal with that, it will have exceeding power over you. If you are not comfortable with the fact that some fans can broke shame you if they see you driving a car they consider below your level, then you are going to continue adjusting to their expectations. And that is how you go broke. You go broke trying to adjust to people’s expectations, he stated
M.I also stressed that Nigerians are too focused on perception rather than their reality. He noted that some celebrities who were once trending have lost their relevance now because they are not as affluent as they were.
One of the things that Nigerians are concerned about is their perceptions. And statistically, we are a country where most people don’t have money. It took me time to mentally prepare myself to accept being broke shamed. All our celebrities who were flying private jets 20 years ago are no longer affluent, he explained.
