‘They wanted me dead’ – Timaya

Nigerian singer Inetimi Alfred Odom, popularly known as Timaya, recently opened up about the downside of using controversy as a promotional strategy.

In an interview with Channels TV, the “Dem Mama” hitmaker revealed that while he initially embraced controversy to boost his career, it eventually backfired.

Timaya explained that although controversy seemed like an effective tactic to gain media attention, it was overblown by the media, leading to unintended negative consequences.

The singer admitted that the strategy proved to be more costly than beneficial, affecting his image and career in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

Reflecting on the experience, Timaya’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of relying on controversy in the entertainment industry.

“My being controversial was a strategy but the press took it too far; they wanted to kill me. And back then, it wasn’t the internet; it was newspapers. When they publish it [controversial story], it goes on the street for one week before they publish another one. For that one week, you will be the topic of discussion,” he recalled.

“When you go to buy suya the next week, you will see your face in the newspaper that was used to wrap it. So, it was really hard. And that time, I was the only one causing controversy. People thought I was crazy. My foundation as a Port Harcourt boy also played a role in me being controversial back then.”

Timaya explained that he made deliberate efforts to rebrand after his controversial strategy backfired.

The singer has been involved in several controversies in the past, including retrieving a car gift from his ex-girlfriend, actress Empress Njamah, after their breakup.

He also had beef with producer Nico Gravity years back.

Last year, his colleague, Terry G called him out over alleged debt in music royalties.