Nigerian record producer Kel-P has addressed allegations made by his former collaborator, Solidstar, who claimed to have mentored him in the music industry.
In January, Solidstar accused Kel-P of stealing his musical style and incorporating it into Burna Boy’s sound during their collaboration. The singer suggested that while he was deeply hurt by the situation, he chose to overlook it out of respect for Burna Boy, who had previously supported him.
Taking to his X handle, Solidstar wrote: “I groomed Kel-P up, we made ‘Eleganza’ and some unreleased songs, trying to make an album together. Then Burna Boy dropped an album, and I heard a lot of my vibes in it. I was really pained—Kel-P for collect, but I let it slide because Burna supported me once. Evidence dey.”
However, in a recent episode of the Urban96 podcast, Kel-P refuted the claims. He asserted that he was the one who originally created the sounds in question. He explained that some artists mistakenly believe they “own” a sound just because a producer has worked with them on similar styles.
“So many artists have said I’m giving their vibes to others. What they don’t understand is that I created the sound and shared it with them. When they hear something similar elsewhere, they feel entitled,” Kel-P stated.
He acknowledged working with Solidstar in the past but revealed that he never made any money from their collaboration. According to Kel-P, once he got the opportunity to work with Burna Boy, he shifted his focus entirely.
He also recounted how Solidstar reached out to him after the COVID-19 lockdown. He said Solidstar congratulated him on his success with Burna Boy and even requesting assistance in securing a record deal. However, their communication took an unexpected turn.
“He followed me on Instagram and sent me a DM. I promised to keep in touch, but after two days, he unfollowed me. I didn’t take it personally. Then months later, he followed me again, messaged me, but I didn’t respond, and he unfollowed me again. A month ago, a friend sent me a screenshot of Solidstar’s rant about me on X. I was shocked.”
Kel-P gained widespread recognition after producing and co-writing 10 tracks on Burna Boy’s critically acclaimed 2019 album, African Giant, which was nominated for a Grammy.
“After 2 days he unfollowed me on Instagram…”
Kel-P has finally responded to SolidStar. pic.twitter.com/ATOK78dOaD
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) March 13, 2025
Get updates as they drop via Twitter and Facebook
