Between the Chief Priest and African Giant

Vanessa Obioha

What do the Chief Priest and African Giant have in common? Maybe more or a little less, but one thing is certain: they are both towering in nature. Their elevated status goes beyond their meanings. It is more directed at their ego.

A chief priest is mainly known for his religious role. Depending on the religion, he can either be a high-ranking leader or a wise man. In informal settings, the Chief Priest is known as a person of influence.

African Giant is a title of great importance. The bearer sees himself first as an African and then as a giant. It is a variant of the title Giant of Africa, which Nigeria is known for due to its population and vast resources.

So when Burna Boy declared himself an African Giant, he was invariably letting the world know that he was ‘big’ both in wealth and creativity. He has proven this fact with his music which helped to attract more global appeal to Nigeria as a creative hub of Africa. He further cemented his status by being the first Nigerian afrobeats star to win the Grammys and also perform live at the Grammys. With all these accolades and others, it is apt to call him the African Giant.

Now Pascal Okechukwu, the popular Nigerian socialite who goes by the alias Cubana Chief Priest is also ‘big’ in his own right. His rise from a bartender to the top of the social ladder is inspiring to many. But like his moniker, he considers himself a man of influence and power such that most of his dealings are publicised to throngs of fans on social media.

Ego is one trait that is common among individuals who give themselves lofty titles. And it is a weapon in the world of celebrity. It is what makes them flaunt their wealth on social media, pick up unnecessary fights and hang their dirty linens in public. These ego feuds are not peculiar to the Nigerian entertainment industry. They are everywhere. Examples abound in the American music industry such as Jay Z and Nas’ feud in the 1990s, 50 Cent and the Game, Madonna and Elton John, etc. These show how ego feuds are ingrained in celebrity culture.

So when Burna Boy and Cubana Chief Priest decided to start the new year with altercations, it generally drew the public’s attention. It all started when Burna Boy allegedly implied in a social media post that Cubana Chief Priest is Owerri’s Rick Ross. Ross was once a plus-sized American rapper. Not one to run away from a fight, Cubana Chief Priest put on his full armour and rained insults on the Grammy winner, even implying that he (Burna Boy) allegedly had a sexual encounter with the American rap mogul P.Diddy to win a Grammy. The back and forth between the two led to other revelations such as the alleged Kenyan baby mama of the socialite whom he abandoned and Burna Boy supposedly has helped financially.

Expectedly, the fight pitted their fans against each other, and even some popular individuals took sides, like the recent praise the controversial singer Portable heaped on Burna Boy. Some, however, have dared Burna Boy to arrest Cubana Chief Priest, like he arrested another controversial singer Speed Darlington, who started the whole allegations of his affair with P. Diddy since the latter’s arrest of sexual crimes, among others, in the U.S.

While the matter seems to have died down, it is yet unknown if the two sparring individuals have finally sheathed their swords. Perhaps we will know when Cubana Chief Priest releases his album, as he stated in an Instagram post. Maybe a diss track about Burna Boy, who knows?