Mohbad’s death, old grievances fuel VDM, Zlatan, Davido feud

What started as a demand for justice over the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad,  has become a public feud involving social media activist Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, rapper Zlatan Ibile and Afrobeats star Davido.

From controversial song lyrics and cryptic social media posts to wedding jabs and a proposed diss track, the disagreement has brought old grievances and strained relationships back into the spotlight.

At the centre of the latest controversy is Zlatan’s song, INFERNO, featuring Peruzzi and Shoday.

A particular line in the track has been widely interpreted as a reference to VDM. In the song, Zlatan raps, “I am not Vincent, I can’t masturbate.”

The lyric, which references VDM’s name and his previous public comments about masturbation, caught listeners’ attention, with many interpreting it as a jab at the activist.

Although Zlatan has not confirmed that the line was directed at VDM, it has reignited their disagreement.

VDM responded by mocking the rapper’s album promotion and wedding publicity.

In one of his posts, he said, “Someone who did a whole wedding because he wanted to promote his album; the album did not go viral, nor did the wedding.”

He also challenged Zlatan to keep INFERNO at number one on Apple Music Nigeria for an entire month.

The controversy took another turn when Davido was captured singing along to the disputed lyric during Zlatan’s wedding’s welcome party in Morocco.

The moment appeared to upset VDM, who had previously spoken about his friendship with the singer. He claimed that Davido followed him on social media in 2024, leading to a cordial relationship.

However, VDM alleged that their friendship deteriorated after he came across WhatsApp conversations suggesting that some entertainment personalities and people within Davido’s circle were discussing plans to have him arrested over his activism surrounding Mohbad’s death.

He also claimed that attempts to reach Davido for an explanation were unsuccessful. The allegations have not been independently verified.

VDM had previously alleged that Davido and some associates offered him N50m to support the singer’s uncle, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, politically. The claim remains unsubstantiated.

Following Davido’s appearance at Zlatan’s wedding, VDM challenged the singer’s involvement in the disagreement and questioned claims about his generosity.

Zlatan subsequently appeared to respond through a cryptic post on X, writing, “You can’t complain about someone giving you a taste of your own medicine when you were the one who prescribed the dose.”

VDM fired back, mocking the rapper for taking time away from his wedding activities to post about him.

The activist later appeared to take the confrontation into music, sharing a preview of a diss track titled On My Knees on Instagram on November 4. The track, apparently aimed at Davido, featured Zlatan’s signature slang, “kapaichumarimarichupako”.

As of November 5, the song has not been released on streaming platforms.

Beyond the latest exchanges, the controversy has also revived memories of the tension between VDM and Zlatan following Mohbad’s death in September 2023, when the activist repeatedly challenged the rapper to speak about what he knew concerning the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.

The preview has generated mixed reactions online, with some social media users supporting VDM’s musical retaliation, while others questioned his decision to drag Davido further into the disagreement.