How did you and Danny* meet?
I had just moved to the mainland to focus on building my music production business. The landlord where I stayed didn’t allow me to set up my studio, so I was looking for a cheap room to rent and use as a workspace. Danny and I were supposed to collaborate on a song, but when he heard I was looking to rent, he suggested I use the empty room in his flat for free.
I was excited, but I didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness, so I suggested producing and mixing his songs at a discount since we were both just starting out. He agreed, and we started hanging out for work and drinks. His place was close to Unilag and my flat, so it worked out great.
How did this business arrangement go?
It went smoothly at first. Danny and I worked on six or seven of his songs. To be honest, I didn’t think he was a good artist, but God forbid I spit on someone’s dream. My job was to make beats and ensure his songs sounded good, and I did my job well. Then cracks started forming in our friendship.
What happened?
It started with him randomly dodging me. I wanted to use the studio to work with other clients and build my portfolio, not just Danny. While he agreed to it initially, he started making ridiculous excuses whenever I wanted to bring clients over.
At first, I didn’t think much of it, but I began noticing a pattern. Something always came up whenever I wanted to use the studio for other clients, and my resentment started building. I worked around it by lying that I was coming over to work on his songs and then bringing my clients along.
Eventually, he started acting high-handed and arrogant, which I initially brushed off as him being sensitive. But it became irritating, and I started reconsidering our arrangement. What was the point if I couldn’t use the studio freely and had to deal with his behaviour?
Right. So you stopped working with him?
Not immediately. Our business relationship was strained because of his silly behaviour, but our friendship was still okay. We often met at his store near Unilag to drink and chill in the evenings. Funny enough, it was a car accident that finally ended our friendship.
An accident? How did that happen?
I used to casually see someone in Unilag before I met Danny. One day, my babe and her friend joined us at our regular drinking spot. We all got drunk and went our separate ways. What we didn’t know was that one of the girls had Danny’s car key in her bag.
Danny’s car was a push-to-start car so as long as the key was inside, it would start. We dropped the girls off at Unilag and didn’t realise the key didn’t come home with us until it was too late. I suggested we wait till the next day to get the key since we were both drunk, but Danny insisted we drive back to Unilag in my car. On our way to Unilag, I dozed off at the wheel, and we got into a really bad accident. My car was badly damaged, but thankfully, we weren’t injured. Since the accident happened near his house, he suggested I use his mechanic. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, so I agreed.
The mechanic worked on my car but started delaying the delivery of my key. I went to try to retrieve it, and the man told me I needed “Brother Danny’s” permission to take my car because that was the instruction he’d received. I almost lost it. I’d paid for the repairs myself, so I couldn’t understand why I needed someone else’s permission to get my ride back.
Did you confront Danny about this?
Of course. His response was ridiculous. He said I had to give him all of his songs I’d worked on before he’d tell the mechanic to release my car. Mind you, he didn’t even want to pay the discounted price we’d agreed on. I told him it wasn’t happening, and he started dodging me. In his small mind, this was his way of getting the songs for free, and it wouldn’t fly with me. I hate being cheated.
What did you do next?
I paid him a surprise visit very early on a Saturday morning because I knew he’d be home. I had a spare key to the flat, so I let myself in and went straight to his room. There was a girl in his bed, but when she saw me, she packed her things and left. After she left, it was just Danny and I in the room. I asked him to call the mechanic to release my car, and he refused, saying I had to drop the songs first. I rolled up my sleeves and beat the living daylights out of him.
Ah!
Oh yes, I beat him until I was tired. I kept saying, “Give me my car key, and I’ll leave your house,” but he refused. He started yelling and threatening to get me locked up. Then he picked up his phone and called in some soldiers. When I saw him making the call, I called my friends too. I was ready for war. Luckily, the soldiers and my friends arrived at the same time. I knew how to talk to military people, so instead of fighting, I explained the whole situation to them. They agreed Danny was wrong for impounding my car and said he also had to pay me the discounted amount we had agreed on for the songs.
I collected my money–₦170,000 at the time—and my car key that day. I also packed up my studio equipment from his house. The funniest part? After the whole debacle, we all went out for drinks, including the fool who was holding on to my key.
Have you guys spoken since that time?
Two or three months later, he tried to talk to me like nothing happened, but I aired him. We’re civil if we have to interact in public, but that guy is not my friend.
I even heard one of his recent releases and I sleep well at night knowing his music career can never blow.
