Nigerian music star, Skales, has shared a gripping and emotional account of a night he was forced to perform his hit song ‘Shake Body’ while locked up in a police cell, all because of a dispute involving his manager and a powerful Nigerian billionaire.
Speaking in a now-viral interview with Zikoko Media, Skales recounted how he found himself behind bars after choosing to stand by his manager, who had reportedly clashed with the influential businessman.
“One time, my manager and I were locked up for no reason. We had issue with a billionaire, just because of power, they arrested my manager and told me to go home. And I said how can you arrest my manager, and I will go home?”
Determined not to abandon his team, Skales accompanied the police and soon found himself in the same cell. There, his celebrity status became both a curse and a blessing.
“While writing a statement for my manager, they said I had to sleep in the cell. So, I slept in the cell and performed because when I got in there, one guy recognised me and said I looked like Skales. I told him I’m Skales. He asked me how come? If I had killed someone.”
The inmates, realizing who he was, made a bizarre request.
“He said I would perform for them for me to sleep on the mat. He said they would give me a special place when I perform because all of them sleep on the floor. I performed, sang the lyrics and everything shamelessly.”
Skales even revealed the inmates offered to “help me murder him”, referring to the billionaire, but he refused. Upon his release, he returned with food for the inmates who had shown him kindness.
The candid story has since sparked reactions online, shedding light on the abuse of power in Nigeria and the resilience of artists like Skales in the face of injustice.
