Industry Rivalry Blocks Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy Collaboration

Ubi Franklin says the trio are more rivals than collaborators.
Compares their rivalry to competition among top banks.
States there’s no personal beef, but industry pressures make collaboration tough.

Music executive Ubi Franklin says it’s going to be hard for Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy to work together because of their status as the “Big 3.”

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Franklin spoke on the Afropolitan podcast, explaining that being one of the top artists in Afrobeats causes a lot of rivalry. He noted that although he has not heard Davido badmouth Wizkid or Burna Boy, the competitive environment makes collaboration unlikely.

He likened the situation to how leading banks compete in Nigeria: even though they may respect each other, they do not team up because each wants to lead. By the same token, he suggested that Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy each want the top spot, making joint work difficult.

Franklin also emphasized that he believes the rivalry is mostly professional, driven by fan expectations, industry positioning, and competition for hits, rather than personal animosity. He said that while they don’t publicly fight, expectations and comparisons often make things look contentious.

Despite this, dialogues and attempts at collaboration have floated in the past. For example, Davido once acknowledged that fans often stir up the rivalry, and others in the music scene, like Iyanya, have expressed desire that the three giants come together believing a collabo among them would be historic for Afrobeats.

What Franklin points out is that for such a collaboration to happen, there would need to be strong alignment: matching creative direction, agreements on revenue split, timing, artistic compromise, marketing strategy, and probably overcoming ego and labels. Any mismatch in these areas can stall collaboration.

For fans, Franklin’s comments may feel disappointing but he also gives hope, saying it is “not impossible”. He leaves room that respect among the trio exists, even if conditions for a joint project are hard.