Rising Nigerian singer Qing Madi has accused her former manager, Joy Tongo, of forgery, theft, and attempts to undermine her career after songs from her Barely Legal EP were allegedly removed from Spotify.
The 19-year-old singer made the allegations during a TikTok live session on Wednesday, describing the takedowns as the latest development in an ongoing dispute with her former management.
Qing Madi alleged that Tongo had engaged in several actions that negatively affected her career, including forging her signature and filing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against her.
“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. She sued me for $2 million, and she lost the case,” the singer said during the livestream.
The controversy shifted after fans noticed that several tracks from her recently released Barely Legal project had become unavailable on Spotify.
‘Zero Label’
Qing Madi claimed the incident was not isolated, recalling that her hit single Pepper Me, featuring Zinoleesky, had previously been removed from the streaming platform before being restored after a challenge by her team.
Expressing frustration over the recurring disputes, the singer questioned why she continued to face legal and professional battles at such an early stage of her career.
The teenager also revealed plans to move forward independently, writing on her Instagram story, “0 label, just Madi and her people, in less than a month.”
Qing Madi further referenced the experiences of singer Cynthia Morgan while criticising her former manager, stating, “The first artiste you signed, Cynthia Morgan, cried, and now you’re doing it to a literal teenager. So two women have worked with you and have the same story.”
The dispute stems from Qing Madi’s departure from JTon Music, the record label she joined as a teenager. Following her exit, she revealed that her former record label sued her for $2 million for an alleged breach of contract after her exit.
The songstress stated that she defended the case in court and won after the label failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims.
She has also accused her former management of exploiting her while she was a minor, alleging that her signature was forged on documents and that she was subjected to excessive control over aspects of her career and public image.
Qing Madi further claimed that efforts were made to frustrate her professional activities, including the alleged removal of her music from streaming platforms and attempts to interfere with sponsorship arrangements for her tour.
Tongo Reacts To Allegations
However, Tongo has strongly denied the allegations.
In a series of posts on Instagram Stories, Tongo rejected claims of theft and forgery and maintained that the legal dispute between the two parties remains unresolved.
She also disputed Qing Madi’s assertion that she had won a court case, insisting that the matter had yet to proceed to trial.
“Stealing and forgery are not things I take lightly. If you use social media to spread false claims because you have fans and a following to damage my reputation, I will pursue all available legal remedies. Age is not an excuse for lawlessness or lies,” Tongo wrote.
Addressing the Spotify takedowns, the ex-manager suggested that the removals were connected to ongoing legal issues rather than any personal vendetta.
“American Love and Ole are at 100 million on Spotify, yet you claimed it looked as if you didn’t have a label. Also, the injunction ruling is why we can issue a legal takedown now. What case have you won? Because last time I checked, the case still hasn’t gotten to trial,” she added.
As of the time of filing this report, portions of Qing Madi’s Barely Legal project remained unavailable on Spotify.
