Kcee Breaks Silence on Alleged Rift With Flavour: “Time Will Always Prove Them Wrong”

Nigerian music star Kingsley Okonkwo, widely known as Kcee, has finally opened up about his long-rumoured rift with highlife sensation Flavour, revealing new details about their history and the root of their tension.

The duo’s strained relationship caught public attention in 2024, when Flavour threw indirect shade on social media about an unnamed artist “copying his style.” Although no names were mentioned, Kcee fired back, warning Flavour not to “gatekeep Igbo cultural music,” while reminding him that he joined the industry long before Flavour did.

Speaking in a recent interview with Yanga FM, Lagos, Kcee shared that he and Flavour first met years ago when talent manager Soso Soberekon introduced the young highlife singer to him for a potential record deal. However, Kcee said he rejected signing Flavour simply because he “didn’t see the potential at the time” — a reason he insists has nothing to do with the current tension.

“I came into the music industry before Flavour. I was already balling before he came to Lagos,” he said.
“I told Soso I couldn’t sign him because I didn’t see potentials in him then. It wasn’t personal.”

Kcee believes the alleged conflict stems not from that rejection, but from industry ego and superiority complex, stressing that many colleagues underestimate his talent because he chooses humility over competition.

“Some people thought I would be stagnant. When you rise higher than they expect, envy comes in,” he noted.
“I don’t brag — my work always proves doubters wrong. Even those who once looked down on me have later apologized.”

Opinion: The Battle of Pride in the Music Industry

What stands out in Kcee’s revelation is not just the mismatch in past judgments — it’s the unspoken tension success often creates. In an industry built on ego, visibility and dominance, humility can sometimes be mistaken for lack of talent.

Kcee’s story shows how growth can become a threat to others who once believed they had outshined you. And just like he said, time truly has a way of correcting opinions — especially in music, where longevity is the real scoreboard.

Flavour and Kcee are both major contributors to modern Igbo sound. Instead of rivalry, imagine what unity between two cultural powerhouses could do for the genre globally. At the end of the day, fans want music, not grudges.