Nigerian singer Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi, has accused his former management representative, Dapper, of allegedly withholding more than $1 million in royalty earnings and using a forged signature to enter into music distribution agreements without his consent.
The singer made the allegations in a series of posts published on his X account, where he detailed his grievances over royalties from his music catalogue, contractual arrangements and money allegedly received from an international distribution deal.
Shallipopi claimed that Dapper was currently holding royalty income from 46 of his songs, including revenue connected to his hit track “E Don Cast.” He further alleged that the catalogue of several artists was taken to Virgin Music Group, with money allegedly collected from the arrangement but not properly accounted for.
According to the singer, the alleged financial dispute involves a substantial amount of money. Shallipopi specifically claimed that more than $1 million belonging to him was allegedly in Dapper’s possession.
“Dapper nor forget na my laho money Dey with me o, u Dey hold me 46 songs royalty income including my “E don cast” money and nor forget too you carry all of us catalog go give virgin u come collect block money, you come pocket am,” he wrote.
The singer also accused Dapper of surrounding himself with lawyers because of what Shallipopi described as existing legal problems. He said his experiences within the music industry had changed his understanding of how financial transactions and transparency should work.
Shallipopi referenced the success of fellow Nigerian musician Famous Pluto, whom he said helped him understand aspects of the music business that were previously outside his field. He argued that the experience had exposed him to how money moves within the entertainment industry.
“Since famous Pluto blow for my hand I don go offline go learn wetin nor Dey my field, I don see how real transparency Dey work, I don see how money Dey flow, but for your hand…. All of us suffer we suffer well well cause you sabi manipulation, na your other name be that,” he stated.
He added that he was satisfied that the matter was eventually coming into the open, saying, “I sha happy say God no Dey sleep, if breeze blow chicken yansh go spread wide open.”
In another post, Shallipopi directly stated the amount of money he believes is allegedly being held by Dapper.
“My money wey Dey your hand pass $1m and u know,” the singer wrote.
Shallipopi also rejected any suggestion that Dapper was responsible for his rise in the Nigerian music industry. He explained that he began his music journey independently from home, uploading his songs through DistroKid before his music gained significant attention on TikTok.
“Nobody helped my career bro, I uploaded Elon musk on distokid and TikTok blew me up!! All from home bro,” he said.
The singer claimed that he had already established himself to some extent before meeting Dapper, whom he accused of subsequently refusing to release money he said was owed to him.
“I don commont go far before I see this dapper the ripper nigga, now he nor wan give me my money and the funny part be say nor be only me,” Shallipopi added.
One of the most serious allegations in the singer’s posts concerned the contractual terms of their relationship. Shallipopi claimed that he signed a management agreement with Dapper in 2023 but alleged that his signature was subsequently forged and attached to a 10-year distribution agreement.
He further alleged that his signature was also used without authorisation in connection with an agreement involving Virgin Music Group, an international music company.
“In 2023 I signed to dapper management only, he forge my signature and put it on a 10 years distribution contract even when I already use distrokid, he also went ahead to forge my signature and sign with an international label called Virgin music Group,” he alleged.
Shallipopi said his background should not be interpreted as a lack of understanding or awareness of his business affairs. He maintained that he was capable of understanding the agreements surrounding his music and the money generated from it.
“I might be from the trenches but I’m not the dumb type,” he wrote, before alleging that Dapper collected money from Virgin Music Group and allegedly kept the funds while encouraging him to continue working.
According to the singer, he was repeatedly told that his financial benefits would come later.
“Dapper went ahead to collect money from virgin music group and he put all those money in his pocket and told me to work more, more and more that my money is in the future!” Shallipopi alleged.
The singer also brought the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the dispute, claiming that he personally visited the commission and provided a statement concerning the matter.
Shallipopi said he wanted the EFCC, the Federal Government, the media and people across Africa to pay serious attention to the allegations. He maintained that he had personally participated in the process rather than merely making accusations from social media.
“I have better things to do with my time than to come on here to drag this man, your case with the EFCC is a fraud case, and it’s me shallipopi that use my two legs to walk in that office and lay down all this statement,” he wrote.
He continued by calling on relevant authorities and the public to treat the matter seriously, saying, “I want the EFCC and the entire government, the entire media and everyone in Africa as a whole take this matter very serious.”
The allegations made by Shallipopi have not been independently established, and the claims concerning alleged signature forgery, royalty payments and funds from Virgin Music Group remain allegations at this stage. Dapper’s response to the specific accusations was not included in Shallipopi’s posts.
The dispute highlights broader issues that can arise in the music industry when artists, managers, distributors and record companies enter into agreements involving ownership rights, royalty collection and catalogue administration. Such arrangements can involve multiple parties and contractual obligations, making clear documentation and financial accounting particularly important.
For Shallipopi, the immediate issue appears to be his demand for accountability over what he says are unpaid earnings and agreements entered into without his authorisation. His decision to publicly detail the allegations on X has now brought the dispute into the wider public domain, with attention likely to focus on any response from Dapper and whether relevant authorities take further action.
