Fuji musician Barry Showkey, one of the sons of the late fuji icon Ayinde Barrister, has revealed that the long-standing feud between his father and Ayinla Kollington was merely a marketing strategy.
Showkey made this known during an interview with Teju Babyface, where he also addressed the number of children his late father had.
“There are many of us, we are just 47 in number, not like what people think. My mom is the fifth wife. We all know ourselves. Our father is a lovely father who always made it possible for us to come together. When he was alive, every 31st of December, everyone had to assemble in the house. He always took care of his family and everyone around him,” he said.
There have been controversies surrounding Showkey’s claim of being Barrister’s son, as multiple individuals have made similar assertions. However, he has maintained that he is a legitimate son of the fuji legend.
“A lot of people didn’t know that Barrister was living in the US, he lived in America. A lot of people always say I am not Barrister’s son o! But do I need to explain myself to anybody that I am the son of anybody? When they are not blind. When you see me, you would know,” he stated.
Speaking on the supposed feud between Barrister and Kollington, he said it was all a publicity stunt.
“Guess what? They weren’t fighting, it was a marketing strategy. I’m always with them. My dad and Kollington were together. When my dad wanted to create fuji music, Kollington wasn’t interested. It was my dad that went down to pick him, saying ‘let’s create music together, I’m making money in this.’
“Kollington asked how they would compete with people like Ebenezer Obey, Haruna Ishola, among others. My dad told him, ‘You know what? Be cussing me. Whenever you insult me, it will divert people’s attention to us.’
“A lot of people don’t know that it was all a marketing gimmick. It got to a stage where my dad said, ‘Kola, we’ve gotten the attention we want, let’s stop this,’ but Kollington refused, saying he didn’t know any other way to sing apart from cursing.”
He said this led Barrister to record a song where he questioned, “Is it because we are friends that’s why you are disrespecting me? Enough with using me to promote songs.”
Showkey revealed that he advised his father against releasing the song, warning that it would spark controversy. His fears were confirmed when Kollington responded with another track.
According to him, Kollington’s song Back to Sender left Barrister in tears. He added that the two fuji greats were very close, but many people did not realize it. He claimed that since Barrister’s passing, Kollington has not been the same.
Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla, two of Nigeria’s most influential fuji musicians, were widely believed to have had a long-standing rivalry rooted in competition for dominance in the genre. Barrister, credited as the pioneer of fuji music, introduced a refined, melodious style, while Kollington adopted a more percussive and aggressive approach.
Their rivalry intensified as they exchanged diss tracks, but despite the fierce competition, their feud was more about musical supremacy than personal animosity. Over time, they reconciled and even performed together, cementing their status as fuji legends.
Ayinde Barrister passed away on December 16, 2010, in a UK hospital after a prolonged illness. Before his death, he had been in and out of medical care, seeking treatment in Nigeria and abroad. His passing marked the end of an era in fuji music, but his legacy continues to influence the genre today.
