Portable Sparks Controversy, Calls Zlatan an ‘Up-and-Coming Artist’
Portable is back in the headlines, and this time, he’s taking shots at Zlatan Ibile. The street-hop sensation boldly claimed that Zlatan is still an “up-and-coming artist” and not widely recognized among wealthy Nigerians due to his style of music.
In a recent interview on Echo Room, Portable shared a conversation he had with a car dealer, who reportedly told him that beefing Zlatan wasn’t worth it. According to Portable, the dealer dismissed Zlatan’s relevance, suggesting that the rapper was only trying to gain clout by engaging in drama with him.
“Zlatan is an up-and-coming artist,” Portable said. “A car dealer I buy from told me I shouldn’t have responded to Zlatan. He said Zlatan was only using my name for clout and that he didn’t even know his songs—just his name.”
Portable didn’t stop there. He went on to criticize the lyrical depth of some artists in the industry, questioning their songwriting and appeal.
“A lot of rich people don’t even know these artists’ lyrics. What are they singing? Can you do proper call-and-response? Is that even music? Are you joking?” he added.
This statement has already sparked debates online, with fans weighing in on both sides. While Zlatan is widely regarded as a hitmaker and a key player in Afrobeats, Portable’s comments are sure to stir more reactions in the industry.
What do you think—was Portable out of line, or does he have a point?