How 2008 Headies win launched my stardom – MI Abaga

Rapper MI Abaga has credited his win at the 2008 Headies Awards as a pivotal moment in his career, catapulting him to stardom.

Abaga, who took home the ‘Best Rap Single’ award, recalled being overlooked on the red carpet, with people asking him to move aside for Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s photo shoot.

However, he said his fortunes changed dramatically after the win.

He said, “I have been grinding, and no one cares about who I am, and in February 2008, I was announced as the winner for ‘Best Rap Single,’ and literally my life changed that day. I remember I was walking into the crowd with my manager, and as we were walking in, Omotola came in with her security.

“The people on the red carpet did not even know I was nominated, so they were just like ‘common get out of here’. So we went to stand at one other corner, and because Omotola was moving from side to side to take her picture, they kept chasing us from place to place.

The award led to a string of hits, including ‘Safe’, ‘Talk About It’, and ‘Incredible Music’, solidifying Abaga’s position in the Nigerian music scene.

“I was just looking at stardom, and two hours later, I had an award in my hand, a gold plaque from Ayo Animashaun, and after that plaque, everybody was like ‘MI is in the game’. After that, it was ‘Safe’, ‘Talk About It’ and ‘Incredible Music’”, he added.