Legendary Afro-Juju musician, Sir Shina Peters, has revealed the unusual publicity strategy that helped revive his public image after his controversial departure from Prince Adekunle’s band.
Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the “Ace” hitmaker recalled that his exit from the band triggered strong public criticism, with many accusing him of abandoning his mentor purely for financial gain.
According to him, his management team devised a dramatic plan to sway public opinion. The idea was to make him appear mentally unstable so that people would feel sympathy toward him.
“After I left Prince Adekunle’s band, many fans protested because they felt I betrayed a father figure. My record label boss and some media personalities then came up with a strategy,” he recounted.
“They had me braid my hair and leave it unkempt for three days. They dressed me in tattered clothes and took me to Oyingbo Market to buy ewedu, recording the entire scene. I didn’t even understand their plan at the time.”
He added that the staged act continued in Badagry, where he was filmed at a Julius Berger construction site, behaving like someone who had lost sanity.
“They instructed me to eat in public and act like someone who wasn’t mentally okay. All of this was to change the narrative and make people empathize with me,” he explained.
Sir Shina Peters noted that although the approach was unconventional, it eventually worked in his favor and helped restore his reputation as he transitioned into a successful solo artist.