Did Yomi Blaze diss Olamide on 'OG'?

On February 13, 2020, Nigerian rapper, Yomi Blaze released his first single of 2020. It is titled, 'OG.' On it, he crafted a hook where he rapped in Yoruba that, "Which mad OG? OG that doesn't have not have money? OG that does not think?"

While the statement could be harmless, the talented rapper's ill-fated stint at YBNL Nation could have also inspired this song. While the song itself is a topical conversation about his will to make money, Yomi Blaze then sings a hook about a certain OG and fired shots left and right. Both parts of the songs seem at loggerheads, but could there be a nexus?

Theories can be made about who Yomi Blaze is dissing, but who comes to mind his former label boss, Olamide. If you remember, Olamide just released an EP titled, 999. In equal measure, one could also theorize that Blaze was simply that he doesn't want to be an OG with no money. However, the second verse of this song is pungent.

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In October 2018, Picazo Rhap - with whom Yomi Blaze used to record viral freestyle clips for Instagram - recorded a top class freeverse to the instrumental of 'Able God' by Chinko Ekun. It went viral across social media and it landed Picazo Rhap and Yomi Blaze an affiliation with YBNL Nation, the label owned by Olamide.

Two months later, they were featured on YBNL Mafia Family, the label's first compilation album. Picazo got a video for 'Macaroni' while Yomi Blaize got a video for, 'IKA.' But shortly after Fireboy started blowing up with his single, 'Jealous,' things began to collapse on the label. First, Lyta had a very public exit before signing to Doro Muzik.

Then, Picazo tweeted that he had exited the label. He joined Senior Boyz Records. Not much was known about the status of Yomi Blaze, but it was interesting that alongside Picazo Rhap, he was not in the Olamide's video for, 'Totori' wth Wizkid and ID Cabasa.

ALSO READ: 10 artists who got a spotlight from Olamide

While we presumed Lyta, Picazo and Yomi Blaize were signed to YBNL, Lyta claimed he never signed a record deal. He claimed that Olamide used to pay him for show appearances, but never signed him. Rumours then swirled that this was the 'audio practice' at YBNL Nation. Word was that Fireboy only got a genuine record contract after 'Jealous' started blowing up.

This argument gained credence when Guardian obtained a statement from YBNL - presumed to be Olamide's statement. In it, Olamide admitted that Lyta and Limerick never had record contracts. He noted that only Fireboy had a valid and legal contract with YBNL. This was in June 2019 after Fireboy had blown up with 'Jealous.'

On the statement, Pulse reported that, "Olamide explains that there is an official plan for every music act on YBNL but Lyta was unready to follow through having enjoyed fame in 2018. The rapper says every label with 2 or more artistes has a calendar that is followed in order to push the various artists for equality sake but Lyta seems uncomfortable with the plan.

"In 2018, Lyta released two singles “Time” and “Self Made” with videos. The singer performed at several shows alongside Olamide. Olamide further claims that Lyta was unhappy the attention is moving to other music acts on the label as designed by the label’s promotion calendar."

It appeared that Olamide was intimating that other affiliates on his label were angry because the label had given attention to Fireboy DML.

While Olamide never mentioned Picazo Rhap and Yomi Blaze in the conversation, it can be presumed that they also never had a contract. Arguments that can then be made that what they had with YBNL was a quasi-development deal from a label that was willing to offer these young acts a platform and pay them while they prove themselves.

Nonetheless, the label did pose on social media that it signed acts like Lyta, Limerick, Picazo Rhap and Yomi Blaze.