Who Made Who? Atawewe Sparks Fuji Feud, Critics Clap Back

The Fuji music industry is currently ablaze with controversy following a viral video in which Alhaji Sulaimon Adio popularly known as Atawewe, made startling claims about his colleagues—Alhaji Saheed Akorede Osupa and Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Odetola, widely known as Pasuma.

In the now widely circulated interview, Atawewe stated that he was the first to give Saheed Osupa a microphone and a stage platform during a performance in Mushin, Lagos, years ago. According to him, it was his then-manager who introduced Osupa to him, adding that Osupa’s fame was triggered by that singular opportunity.

“I didn’t know him before. It was my manager who brought him. He became known after I gave him a chance on my stage,” Atawewe claimed in the video.

Even more provocatively, Atawewe addressed his relationship with Pasuma, acknowledging that while the “Ijoba Fuji” is older than him in age, he would never refer to him as an elder brother. “He is not my mother’s child. I know my siblings,” Atawewe said bluntly, sparking outrage among Fuji fans and observers alike.

In swift reaction, a prominent Fuji critic and self-professed eyewitness, Tope Michael Balogun, slammed Atawewe’s remarks as revisionist and deceptive. Balogun, who claimed to have sold cigarettes at Fuji shows in the 1980s and 1990s, accused Atawewe of conveniently forgetting the days he would kneel and prostrate before Pasuma just to be allowed on his stage.

“Swear with your life that you never prostrated for Pasuma before playing at his show. I saw you with my own eyes many times. You wore ‘buba ati sokoto’ like a servant. Don’t twist history!” Balogun said, daring Atawewe to publicly swear to his version of events.

He also issued a blistering rebuttal to a message from De Success Multi Media Concept, a group reportedly aligned with Atawewe, calling their defence baseless. “I’m 53 years old, and I’m from Mushin. I speak only facts. Atawewe cannot swear with his life that I’m lying,” Balogun insisted.

Adding fuel to the fire, another critic, Omowunmi Deborah Abraham, accused Atawewe of using public spats with bigger names to regain lost relevance in the ever-competitive Fuji scene. According to her, Atawewe has failed to raise protégés or inspire a new generation of Fuji stars, unlike Pasuma who has successfully mentored notable artistes.

“Pasuma has produced stars like Taye Currency and Tiri Leather who are now big names in the industry. Atawewe has no such legacy. He should stop dragging Pasuma and Osupa to stay relevant,” she said.

The public fallout among these Fuji heavyweights is not only drawing attention from fans but also rekindling long-standing rivalries that have shaped the evolution of the genre over the past three decades. Industry watchers argue that while competition is healthy, the personal nature of these recent verbal jabs could tarnish the image of the genre at large.

Some analysts believe the controversy exposes a deeper issue in Fuji music: generational ego, territorial legacy, and the scramble for cultural ownership. Others, however, see it as a publicity stunt in a genre that thrives on competitive storytelling and status affirmation.

As the debate rages on across social media platforms, fans and stakeholders in the Fuji community are left with pressing questions: Who truly mentored who? Is Atawewe rewriting history or shedding light on forgotten truths? And most importantly, will peace ever return among these icons of indigenous Yoruba music?

Only time will tell—but for now, the drama continues.