Timaya Opens Up About How His Controversial Strategy Backfired [Video]

Image: X

Nigerian music star Inetimi Alfred Odom, popularly known as Timaya, has shed light on how his deliberate decision to use controversy as a strategy in his early career backfired, leading to intense media scrutiny.

Speaking during an interview with Channels TV, the 'Dem Mama' crooner admitted that while he initially thought controversy would work in his favor, the media took it too far, which ultimately proved costly.

Timaya shared how newspapers at the time would sensationalize his controversies, making it difficult for him to escape the spotlight. “My being controversial was a strategy, but the press took it too far; they wanted to kill me. Back then, it wasn’t the internet; it was newspapers. For that one week, you will be the topic of discussion,” he said. He humorously recalled how his face often appeared on old newspapers used to wrap street food like suya, extending his presence in the public eye even further.

Timaya attributed his controversial image in part to his Port Harcourt roots, which shaped his behavior. However, after facing backlash from the media, he decided to make a conscious effort to rebrand and move away from the negative headlines.

Over the years, Timaya has found himself in several high-profile controversies, including an incident where he retrieved a car gift from his ex-girlfriend, actress Empress Njamah, following their breakup. He also had a longstanding beef with producer Nico Gravity. Most recently, his colleague Terry G called him out over unpaid music royalties, adding to the list of issues that have surrounded his career.

Despite these challenges, Timaya has managed to remain relevant in the Nigerian music scene, continuously evolving and reinventing his image.

See the video below:

"My being controversial was a strategy but the press took it too far; they wanted to k!ll me"

-- Timaya pic.twitter.com/ojXsGjkf2k

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) October 22, 2024

Source: DP

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