In the world of Nigerian Hip Hop, there are many things that cause beef. It may be that one rapper stole another rapper’s girl. Or that one rapper sneak dissed another rapper on his cypher. For whatever the reason, it’s always fun to watch. But sometimes, beef between rappers occurs for the most ridiculous reasons, reasons such as a simple game gone wrong. This was the case yesterday at an event conducted by one of Nigeria’s popular betting company’s. The event which was tagged a ‘Celebrities Fans Challenge’, pitted superstars against each other in competitions that were meant to be all fun and games. The audience was treated to spectacles like Pasuma going head to head with 9ice in a game of who can mimick who better. Fans also saw Teni go up against Slimcase in a three round game that saw Teni come out ontop. During all of these, victors and losers walked away with smiles on their faces. But when it comes to rappers, ego can never be put aside. So when it came time for Erigga to go up against Chinko Ekun, all hell broke loose.

It all started when Broda Shaggi and his co-host cheekily invited the two rappers to come and play several games. The first round was a lackluster affair, with the two giving non-commited performances. But then they were challenged to diss each other in pidgin, and the tension could already be felt in the arena. Broda Shaggi and his co-host encouraged the rappers to tear into each other to see who would come out on top. The rap battle was to be one round only with Erigga going first. Fans braced themselves for the torrent of punchlines to come. But Erigga did something unexpected. In a manner not unlike Machine Gun Kelly’s diss against Eminem, Erigga dissed Chinko Ekun in a way that also seemed like he was hailing him. It was not what the audience wanted to see and so the reception was poor. But one can understand why Erigga would not want to diss a fellow rapper whom he respects. However, when it came time for Chinko Ekun to respond, he did not extend the same courtesy.

“You know say me I get bad mouth,” Chinko Ekun said after collecting the microphone. And he wasn’t lying, with bar after vicious bar, Chinko Ekun spit lines that had the crowd going wild. He said that Erigga was only popular in Warri. He played on words like “pidgin”, saying he’d put Erigga in the “pigeonhole” of his car. He got personal talking about how he beat Erigga at the headies awards. He used Yoruba to deliver some gut-wrenching punchlines and he kept going and going, prompting Broda Shaggi’s co-host to put her hands on her head in lamentation of Erigga’s misfortune. By the time it was over, there was a clear winner, and it really should have ended there. But it didn’t, in fact, the drama was only just beginning

Chants from the crowd prompted Erigga to go for a second round, and so the rapper grabbed the mic in an attempt to do just that. This time around, he seemed intent on going in for the lyrical kill. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to hold back. But Broda Shaggi and his co-host were not having it. Rules were rules, and despite the crowds insistence, Erigga wasn’t allowed to go another round. And so he gave a brief freestyle, stating that he would record something and put it on iTunes, where he would make money and Chinko Ekun would not. The crowd was ecstatic about this promise, clearly Vector Da Vipers feud with the Chairman has made Nigerians hungry for beef. Finally, right before the two left the stage (Chinko Ekun with his trophy and Erigga empty handed), Erigga vowed that he would definitely reply. It remains to be seen if this was all said in jest, or if truly Erigga will hop in a studio and go for the jugular. Perhaps backstage the two squashed it and had a laugh or two, only time will tell. For now, Hip Hop fans across the country wait patiently for Erigga’s response.