Nigerian singer Qing Madi has publicly accused her former label manager, Joy Tongo, of forgery, theft, and deliberate attempts to disrupt her music career after several tracks from her recently released Barely Legal EP disappeared from Spotify.
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Qing Madi alleges that her former manager forged her signature and played a role in the removal of songs from Spotify.
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Joy Tongo has denied the allegations, insisting that ongoing legal issues between both parties have not been resolved.
The controversy erupted on Wednesday after fans noticed that multiple songs from Qing Madi’s Barely Legal EP were no longer available on Spotify. The situation quickly gained attention online, prompting the singer to address the issue during a TikTok Live session.
During the broadcast, the 19-year-old singer spoke candidly about her ongoing dispute with Tongo, whom she accused of repeatedly interfering with her music career.
“She stole from me. She did a bunch of weird things, forging my signature. There are things I don’t want to mention here so I don’t get emotional,” Qing Madi said during the live session.
The singer also claimed that her former manager filed a lawsuit against her seeking $2 million in damages but failed to succeed in court. According to Qing Madi, she was still a minor at the time the legal proceedings began, requiring her mother to appear alongside her.
The latest Spotify takedown is not the first issue involving the singer’s music catalog. Qing Madi revealed that her earlier single, Pepper Me, had previously been removed from the streaming platform. However, she said her team successfully challenged the removal and had the song restored.
Referring to the latest development, the singer suggested that the takedown of her Barely Legal EP was part of a continued effort to frustrate her career.
“You took down ‘Pepper Me’, I said alright, bet. After we proved it was an illegal takedown, they went through the corners to take down this project. What in the world is the problem? How are you fighting with a kid?” she stated.
The dispute between Qing Madi and her former management has been brewing for several months. In April, the singer took to Instagram to accuse her former label of attempting to undermine her career. At the time, she drew comparisons to the highly publicized challenges faced by singer Cynthia Morgan during her own management disputes.
“My ex label, the same people that tried to destroy Cynthia Morgan, are trying to do the same to me,” Qing Madi wrote in a social media post.
She further alleged that one of her songs had been removed from Spotify because of its growing popularity, adding that she simply wanted to focus on making music without unnecessary distractions.
As the allegations gained traction online, Joy Tongo responded through Instagram Stories, strongly denying the claims made against her.
Tongo argued that Qing Madi’s age should not be used as a shield against accountability and insisted that several statements made by the singer were inaccurate. She also challenged the singer’s assertion that she had won a court case against her.
“What case have you won? Because last time I checked, the case still hasn’t gotten to trial,” Tongo wrote.
The former manager further claimed that legal restrictions and an existing injunction influenced the situation, suggesting that the Spotify removals stemmed from a separate process rather than a direct legal takedown.
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With both parties presenting sharply different versions of events, the dispute has now become one of the most talked-about controversies in Nigeria’s music industry. Fans continue to await further clarification regarding the legal battle and the status of the affected songs.
As of the time of reporting, several tracks from Qing Madi’s Barely Legal EP remain unavailable on Spotify, leaving listeners concerned and fueling ongoing debate across social media platforms.
