Nigerian singer Magixx has raised concerns over the credibility of music streaming charts in the country, alleging that top spots on Apple Music Nigeria are being secured through financial means rather than genuine popularity.
The Mavin Records artist voiced his frustrations in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that the lack of breakout artists is due to widespread manipulation of the charts. “Just so y’all know, the reason why we don’t have enough breakout artists these days is because almost every spot on Apple Music is bought,” he wrote.
Magixx also accused some artists of inflating their streaming figures and deceiving their families and fans about their success. “Y’all faking your numbers. I hope you sleep well at night… Keep deceiving your family members,” he added.
His remarks sparked industry-wide conversation and gained support from fellow Nigerian rapper Blaqbonez, who echoed the allegations of manipulation and described the trend as harmful to the music ecosystem.
“The irreversible damage we’ve done to our industry, one day it’d finally come crumbling down,” Blaqbonez posted. “For now, let’s keep acting like the charts mean anything more than a showcase of the people who can afford to buy it.”
He compared the current state of digital charts to the early 2000s iTunes era, where chart dominance was often linked to financial power rather than organic reach. “It’s like iTunes in the 2000s all over again. Make I go hustle,” he wrote.
Blaqbonez further questioned the accuracy of current chart rankings, pointing to Ayra Starr’s recent single, which he believes deserves a higher position. “Ayra’s hot body never enters the top 10 NG, when we know that song should be number 1 or top 3,” he said.
He suggested that the artist’s absence from the top charts may be due to her not engaging in so-called “industry agriculture”—a phrase often used to describe behind-the-scenes industry dealings.
The allegations have reignited debate over transparency in music streaming metrics and the challenges facing emerging talents in Nigeria’s competitive music industry.
Neither Apple Music nor Mavin Records has responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
