Mr. Eazi is using back-to-back controversies to fuel his fame in Nigeria and Ghana

You’re likely one of those who’ve said nasty things to the artiste Mr. Eazi on Twitter and Instagram. You’ve entered comment sections, calling him names and mocking him.

What if we told you you’ve been had?

Because it appears the Femi Otedola in-law-to-be knows exactly what he’s doing.

Sources who claim to have an idea of how his team works, told Nigerian Entertainment Today over the weekend that the pop star and his team are working according to a formula – to get him tremendous media mentions, portray him as someone that gets a lot of media attention to potential international partners, and guarantee that newcomers, who are digging for gossip about him will come across his music and fall in love.

It’s the formula favoured by many celebrities, especially those who live in the US, or are represented by American publicists.

Controversies always sell, one celeb told us. ‘Look at the Kardashians. Look at how Jay Z and Beyonce have milked that elevator incident. It’s the American style, and he wouldn’t be the first to use what fans want to talk about to his advantage ‘.

We couldn’t reach Mr. Eazi for comments, but those close to him insist he’s not working according to any plan. ‘He’s just a no nonsense guy that says the truth as he sees it’, one pal told us.

Here’s what he told Nigerian Newspaper The Punch last weekend.

‘You cannot deny that I brought a new vibe to the industry and I believe everybody can see that. Now, there are lots of Nigerian artistes who use Ghanaian words and melodies in their songs, but they’ve never been to Ghana. .

‘So how did they get to know about those words? There are a lot more songs out now that have that Ghanaian influence, and with all due respect, I can boldly say that started after my songs started gaining popularity,’

Of course the internet fell for the bait. Whether’s he speaking with Nigerian Entertainment Today or MTV or The Punch, the follow up stories are so numerous it’s difficult to keep up. On twitter, influential voices are putting their own spins to it for retweets and likes, as innocent fans fight each other, taking sides. On Instagram, popular accounts like Thenetng, Instablog9ja, BellaNaija, Olorisupergal and others jump on it, milking views and likes and comments, as fans argue from both sides of the fence. It’s worse on Facebook.

If he were not to make these controversial statements, it is impossible for Mr. Eazi, who is, in actual facts, quite talented and original, to get even a fraction of the publicity he has received in recent times.

Experts say the concept, which is being used in Nigeria by the likes of Mr. Eazi, Bobrisky, Toke Makinwa, Maheeda, Hushpuppi and others, is nothing new, and is often successful in markets where fans and audiences are gullible.

But, as celebs use keywords and planned statements to provoke anger and sentiments, with the hopes of getting free media space and increased coverage that often lead to fame and patronage, the media, are often willing accomplices. Why? Traffic, Likes, Comments, Clicks, anything that guarantees audience attention and advertising revenue. This website, for example, has increased coverage on the likes of Bobrisky, Hushpuppi, Mr. Eazi, Toke Makinwa, Dino Melaye, Tonto Dikeh, and others, not because of their works or talent (some clearly have none), but because of the audience engagement they guarantee.

There are bound to be casualties – interestingly it may not be the fans, but the celebs themselves, or, as a matter of fact, the blogs, websites, and media platforms who have become so desperate for clicks and likes they appear to have forgotten their jobs altogether.