Afrobeats singer Joeboy has weighed in on the growing debate around collaboration culture in the Nigerian music industry, pointing to ego as one of the major factors affecting how artists work together.
Speaking during a recent interview on Cool FM Lagos alongside fellow artist Wizard Chan, Joeboy said that collaborations often become complicated when competition and personal pride begin to interfere with the creative process.
According to him, he prefers to work with artists with whom he already has a cordial relationship, because it removes tension and allows the music to come together more naturally.
“It is easier for me to collaborate with artists that I am cool with or friends with. Because there will be no ego or inner competition. Personally, if I feature you, I expect you to outshine me in the song. That is why I featured you. So, I don’t get the competition,” he said.
Joeboy’s remarks highlight a growing conversation within Afrobeats about how artists balance friendship, competition, and commercial expectations when working together on records.
On his part, Wizard Chan echoed similar sentiments, stressing that ego often disrupts what is meant to be a purely creative exchange.
“My problem with collaboration is just ego. I would never interfere when you’re recording; you just also do the same. Some artists will ask for a feature and want to tell you how to do your job. That is wrong. Let me do my thing,” he said.
He explained that the purpose of collaborations is to bring different strengths together, not to compete or override each other’s creative direction.
“The reason I would feature anybody is because I cannot do what they are doing. And I can not even tell them to sound like me or do my style. The aim of collaboration is to bring a different aspect to the song. And it is not a competition. But some artists would go as far as changing their verses when they hear their collaborator’s own and it sounds better than their’s. It is not supposed to be a competition,” he added.
Their comments add to ongoing discussions about behind-the-scenes dynamics in Afrobeats, where collaborations remain one of the most powerful tools for global reach, but also one of the most sensitive creative processes in the industry.
“Artistes will ask for a feature and want to tell you how to do your job.
Some will even redo their verse when they notice you bodied them on a song. If I feature you on a song I expect you to body me”
—Joeboy & Wizard Chan on their new project🫡🤍 pic.twitter.com/M3QmrSKoEB
— Beri🌚 (@beri_grizou) May 12, 2026