Yemi Alade Opens Up About Industry Pressures: “I Refused to Compromise for Success”

Yemi Alade shared a post on Facebook where she talked about her experiences in the music industry. She mentioned how there was a time when many people wanted to sleep with her to get ahead in the industry. She felt pressured, as if she had to cross a bridge by engaging in sexual activities to get opportunities, deals, and awards.

However, Yemi made a decision to never trade sexual favors for success. She noticed that after making this decision, many opportunities seemed to vanish. She questioned why, despite being the most viewed and subscribed Nigerian female artist on YouTube, she received little recognition from award shows year after year. Even in discussions on Twitter, she noticed that she was often overlooked as one of the biggest female artists in Nigeria.

Despite these challenges, Yemi Alade expressed gratitude for maintaining her dignity and values. She mentioned that she is still making good money, has her life, and most importantly, has fans who love and support her.

In her words:
“There was a time in the industry when everyone wanted to sleep with me and it was like, ‘Yemi, if you don’t do this, you won’t have that.’ Going down with men was like a bridge I had to cross to get on some platforms, get some deals and even awards. When I made my decision never to engage in sexual activities for gains, lots of opportunities were automatically blocked for me. Ask yourself why Yemi Alade who is the most viewed and most subscribed Nigerian female artiste on YouTube gets almost no recognition from award shows year after year. Even during Twitter debates, no one mentions Yemi Alade as one of the biggest female artistes in Nigeria. They really blocked everything for me. But I’m glad because I have my dignity, I have my life, I’m making cool cash and above all, I have fans who love me so much…”