Conflicting Reports Trail Nigerian Artiste, Skiibii’s Rumoured Death

YESTERDAY, the social media was abuzz with the rumoured death of fast rising and newly signed on Five Star Music artiste, Skiibii Mayana, who is popularly known for his stage moniker, Skiibii.

He was reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest. Unconfirmed reports that made the rounds on social media said the hip-hop ariste Skibii collapsed in his sitting room yesterday morning after getting dressed to meet scheduled appointments aimed at promoting his new song, and before help could come to him, he died.

The Guardian gathered that yesterday, the 22-year-old and his label mate, Harrysong now known as Mr. Song, were at different radio stations promoting their music.

However, fellow Five Star label mate and a top management member of the record label, Kingsley Okonkwo, popularly known as Kcee, who is currently in Sweden, few minutes after the rumoured death, took to his Instagram handle to dispel rumours that the Sampu crooner was dead. “Been on transit from Oslo, Norway to Sweden; this is to confirm @Skiibii is not dead, he is responding to treatment.

Official statement is dropping soon,” Kcee wrote on his Instagram page. According to Kcee, his brother told him Skiibii was found with no pulse and wasn’t breathing.

They rushed him to the hospital and after hours there, he was said to have been revived. Skiibii just released his single and has been on the road for a week now promoting it.

Some music critics said the rumoured death could be a stunt for Skiibii to trend on social media. Meanwhile, an anonymous open letter was sent out by someone who called himself ‘The Strategist’, where he pointed at Skiibii and Five Star Music for the hoax.

The letter reads: “When news broke this morning that rising act “Skiibii is dead,” I wasn’t shocked, I wasn’t tensed because it is too common of Nigerian celebrities to come up with unnecessary publicity stunts to promote and sell their materials, so, I didn’t believe the story and was patiently waiting for their failed mission.

Skiibii,who isn’t as popular as the likes of Korede Bello, Lil Kesh, Adekunle Gold, Ink Edwards, Kiss Daniel might be so desperate for overnight fame.

However, it shows the desperation and level of ignorance in the label and how far they are willing to go to get to push a song, not minding the consequences.

It is absolutely uncalled for to frame the death of Skiibii just to destabilise his fans and prospective fans. I wonder if they thought of how fans would react to this before they embarked on their failed mission.

It is a weakness on the part of Five Star Music and the label’s team to have publicised the death of the young lad, Skiibii when they were not sure if he was dead or not.

I, however, hold a strong belief that Five Star Music cooked up the story for the public to eat. Skiibii undoubtedly is an upcoming artiste who needs to be natured and monitored with highly intellectual branding.

Although, in public relations, bad publicity can be good publicity, if well managed. Don’t you think Nigerians are tired of useless publicity stunts?