Ayra Starr slammed for dancing to Naira Marley’s ‘I’m Back’ song

Since Mohbad died in 2023, Naira Marley has faced backlash over allegations of bullying, leading to a ban on his music by some Nigerian radio stations.

His attempts to regain acceptance have met a brick wall.

However, his ‘Pxy Drip (I’m Back)’ song, released in December 2024, recently gained traction, especially on TikTok and sparked debate about whether the netizens, especially Mohbad’s fans, have moved on despite past calls for a boycott of Naira’s songs.

On Thursday, Ayra Starr faced backlash after posting a TikTok video of herself in a black outfit and sunglasses, dancing to Naira Marley’s latest track.

Hours later, Naira Marley reposted a video of Nollywood actress Regina Daniels dancing to the song. He then compiled clips of Ayra, Regina, and content creators participating in the challenge and shared them online.

Shortly after, netizens on X (formerly Twitter) expressed outrage, criticising Ayra Starr for engaging with an artiste they claim has been ‘cancelled.’

Following the backlash, checks on Ayra Starr’s page revealed that she had seemingly bowed to pressure and taken down her video.

‘Cry in peace’

In response to the controversy, Naira Marley took to X, issuing a defiant statement amid the debate over Ayra Starr’s deleted video.

The ‘Soapy’ crooner wrote, “Cry in peace and stop disturbing us with noise. Leave her (Ayra Starr) alone and cancel me again.”

He also shared a snapshot of YouTube statistics, revealing that the song’s views had risen to 2.1 million, with the caption: “Time will tell.” Additionally, he reposted the song’s Spotify streams, which currently stand at 5.2 million.

As the debate continued, some social media users insisted that Ayra Starr should have distanced herself from Naira Marley. In contrast, others argued that listening to his music does not equate to supporting his alleged actions.

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Naira Marley recently made headlines for leaking private messages from actress Iyabo Ojo. She replied, saying she supports young artistes and won’t ignore injustice. Iyabo criticised him for staying silent on Mohbad’s alleged bullying. The duo has been embroiled in a legal battle since 2023.