DJ Neptune Decries Industry Bias, Says Nigerian Music Sidelines Its Veterans

|By Queen Banigo

Nigeria’s award-winning disc jockey and producer, Imohiosen Patrick, popularly known as DJ Neptune, has raised alarm over what he described as a growing culture of pushing veterans aside in the Nigerian music industry.

Speaking in a recent interview with Hip TV, the ace DJ criticised the industry’s tendency to sideline creatives once they hit certain career milestones, calling it a “structural problem” that demands urgent reform.

According to him, while Western music industries allow veterans and newcomers to thrive side by side, Nigeria often pushes its pioneers to the background.
“In Nigeria, once you reach a certain level, they push you aside like, ‘Oya go to that corner, we’re done with you.’ It’s a structural problem. Abroad, the OGs are still as relevant as the newbies. We need to address the structural issues,” he said.

Reflecting on his own longevity, DJ Neptune explained that reinvention has kept him relevant.
“Although I don’t plan to do this all my life—when it’s time to take a bow, I will. But what I have done over the years is knowing when it’s time to reinvent. Things are changing, so you need to move with the time,” he added.