“Stop using death to promote songs!” Nigerians berate Carter Efe over controversial post

• Carter Efe claimed he would die if his new song Pray didn't become a hit, sparking widespread criticism
• Netizens took the claim to an extreme, designing his obituary and updating his Wikipedia page with a fake death date
• Carter Efe is not the first Nigerian artist to use a drastic promotional tactic, following in the footsteps of Oladips, who faked his death to promote his music

Nigerian musicians are known for their creative promotional strategies. However, some artistes have sparked controversy by employing drastic measures to generate buzz. 

This trend raises ethical questions about the lengths to which artists will go to promote their work and the impact it may have on their audiences.

Recently, skit maker, singer, and songwriter Oderhohwo Joseph Efe, better known as Carter Efe, released a new song titled Pray, which featured Khaid. 

In an attempt to generate hype for the track, he made a startling claim on December 30, 2024, stating, “If my song no  do top 5 for Apple music when I drop am! I dey kpai myself 😔”

He further confirmed his comment: "I said I’m leaving this earth unless the song I’m dropping on the 10th of January doesn’t blow up!!😡” 

This declaration has ignited a significant amount of backlash from fans and critics alike. Many have criticised Carter Efe's tactic as insensitive and attention-seeking, while others made jokes out of it. 

In an escalation of this controversy, some netizens took the matter further by creating his obituary and updating his Wikipedia page to state that he died in January 2025. 

Carter Efe is not the first artiste to adopt such an approach. Nigerian rapper Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji, known as Oladips, previously faked his death to promote his music. 

One user on X (formerly Twitter) criticised this alarming trend, urging artists to refrain from using death as a promotional tool. This sentiment resonates with many who believe that artists should seek more authentic and respectful ways to engage their audience without resorting to harmful tactics. 

Reactions trail following Carter Efe's death announcement 

Here are some reactions below;

@Archipalago commented: “Stop using death to promote songs! That’s too wack” 

@Blaze_042_ commented: “Gone too soon. 🕊️”

@Sweetbrownmusic commented: “You be mumu, because of song. You forget say na God dey blow song. Common go listen to roll up” 

@iamdondonnish commented: “This comment section is just crazy Kai.... cruise or not it's insane ajeh

All cruise una go catch na death, me self wee debitors dy trouble up and down I haven't think of dying cos so far life dy hope dy I'm not see anything to hope tho but I have to keep encouraging my self.”

@Fhigo_ commented: “Upon all this clout chasing your song no go still enter top 100 smh” 

“Prank or legit?” Nigerians question authenticity of Carter Efe’s disturbing post

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that popular content creator and comedian Carter Efe stirred controversy on social media with a disturbing and alleged suicidal message he recently posted.  

The post has left many netizens with different speculations, and they have analysed the skit-maker's true intention with his message.