Veteran Afro-Juju icon Sir Shina Peters has revealed that his team once devised an unconventional public relations strategy that helped him recover from the backlash following his controversial departure from Prince Adekunle’s band.
Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the legendary “Ace” crooner said he faced intense criticism at the time, as many fans accused him of betraying his mentor for financial gain.
According to Peters, his record label and some media executives came up with a plan to rebrand his image by portraying him as mentally unstable to evoke public sympathy.
“People protested against me when I left Prince Adekunle’s band because they believed I left my father figure for money,” he recalled. “Then the owner of my record label and some media heads came up with an idea. They asked me to braid my hair for three days without loosening it, then wear torn clothes. After that, they took me to Oyingbo Market to buy ewedu while recording everything. I didn’t even know what they were up to.”
He added that the stunt continued in Badagry, where he was filmed behaving erratically at a Julius Berger construction site.
“They told me to act like a madman and eat in public. All of that was done to change people’s narratives and earn empathy from fans,” he explained.
The music veteran said the move eventually succeeded, helping him regain public support and rebuild his reputation as a solo artist.
Today, Sir Shina Peters is celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most influential music legends, credited with revolutionizing Afro-Juju and shaping the sound of modern Nigerian music.
About the Author
