The events that followed Mohbad’s death in September 2023 brought several Nigerian music industry figures into the public spotlight, with private conversations, friendships and professional relationships attracting widespread attention. More than 3 years later, a telephone conversation from that period has resurfaced, bringing familiar names back into an old controversy. What began as a private exchange between 2 singers has now developed into a public disagreement involving accusations and conflicting accounts.
The recording has reopened an uncomfortable chapter involving Marlian Records, Davido’s 30BG camp and people connected to the public outrage that followed Mohbad’s death. As those involved begin to speak, the circumstances surrounding the conversation have become a major talking point, with several personalities now drawn into the unfolding dispute.
The September 17, 2023 Telephone Conversation
The latest development emerged on Monday, November 9, 2026, when social media activist VeryDarkMan, popularly known as VDM, released an old telephone conversation between singers Lil Frosh and Zinoleesky. The recording was reportedly made on September 17, 2023, just 5 days after Mohbad died on September 12, 2023. Its release brought renewed attention to the relationship between the singers and the circumstances surrounding the period when Marlian Records was facing widespread public scrutiny.
During the conversation, Lil Frosh reportedly informed Zinoleesky that Davido had contacted him and wanted him to speak to his brother about leaving Marlian Records. According to Lil Frosh, the singer had reached out and requested a meeting while also asking him to pass a message to Zinoleesky. He told him, “Davido have just messaged me. He said he wants to see me on Wednesday. He said call your brother, make you warn am.”
Lil Frosh subsequently explained the alleged instruction more directly, saying, “Davido called me and then said call your brother, make he comot for there, leave Marlians Record.” Zinoleesky appeared surprised by the information and reportedly asked, “Davido called you to ask me to leave?” The exchange suggested that Lil Frosh was presenting himself as someone who had received a direct message from Davido concerning Zinoleesky’s continued association with the record label.
The conversation continued with Lil Frosh advising Zinoleesky to consider leaving the label. He reportedly told him, “Advise your brother make him comot for that place, make him gbese.” Another portion of the recording reportedly involved Lil Frosh explaining his accommodation situation at the time, including his stay at another person’s residence. The most significant part remained his account of the alleged telephone conversation with Davido, which placed the singer’s name at the centre of the discussion.
VDM Explains His Decision to Release the Recording
Following the publication of the conversation, VDM explained why he had kept the recording for such a long time before deciding to make it public. The activist indicated that he had possessed the material for an extended period and had chosen to hold on to it while events surrounding his disagreement with Davido continued to develop. Addressing the release, he said, “I have the call recording for the longest, but I kept it.”
VDM also connected the recording to his efforts to obtain an explanation from Davido over issues he had previously raised. He expressed disappointment about the alleged conversation taking place just 5 days after Mohbad’s death, a period when public attention was heavily focused on the singer’s circumstances and people associated with Marlian Records. The activist maintained that he had expected Lil Frosh to eventually deny the account and indicated that he had additional materials concerning those involved.
During his remarks, VDM also issued a warning, saying, “Make I no hear anybody cough again.” He further explained how deeply the Mohbad situation had affected him, adding, “This Mohbad case is personal. There is something to it, if them like make them buy me car or house.”
VDM also made separate allegations concerning Davido’s relationship with someone identified as Cutie Juls and his own arrest, which he claimed was connected to discussions in a WhatsApp group. These allegations formed part of the wider disagreement between the activist and people associated with the singer.
Lil Frosh Challenges VDM on November 9
Lil Frosh responded to VDM on Monday, November 9, 2026, taking to X to question the activist’s account of events and accuse him of spreading false information. His response extended beyond the newly released conversation, as he also brought up VDM’s previous allegations about his arrest and the people associated with Marlian Records.
The singer directly challenged the activist’s credibility, writing, “Vincent you too dey lie. No single truth for wetin you yarn.” He subsequently questioned VDM’s explanation of his arrest and the role of the authorities involved, saying, “Suddenly Vincent no know why them arrest am. Sebi na NCC department you dey use arrest people and na them arrest you. So why you no ask them why them send you go prison.”
Lil Frosh also challenged VDM’s claims concerning alleged attacks involving members of the Marlian camp. He asked, “Marlians beat who exactly? When and where?” The singer further accused the activist of attempting to engage in damage control after previously speaking against Marlian Records and its associates. His statements brought the disagreement back to the wider issues surrounding the label, Mohbad’s death and VDM’s allegations against people connected to Davido.
Sam Larry Confronts Lil Frosh on November 10
The disagreement took another turn on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, when Sam Larry released a video addressing Lil Frosh. His intervention introduced another alleged private conversation, with Sam Larry claiming that Lil Frosh had previously contacted him to discuss being instructed to approach Zinoleesky about leaving Marlian Records.
Sam Larry questioned why Lil Frosh would allegedly tell him about the instruction before subsequently denying the account publicly. He specifically referred to the possibility of Zinoleesky leaving Marlian Records for Davido’s 30BG camp, saying, “You were told to ask Zinoleesky to leave Marlian Records for 30BG, but you came out to deny it, saying they never told you anything.”
He then challenged the singer to explain whether fear was responsible for his alleged change of position. Sam Larry said, “Why are you scared? They cannot do anything to you. Don’t be afraid of them.” He also made a statement about the possibility of people destroying another person’s home or family, adding, “You know you can ruin and scatter someone’s home, but you cannot ruin us or scatter our homes.”
Returning to the alleged telephone conversation between himself and Lil Frosh, Sam Larry insisted that the singer had previously contacted him and discussed the matter. He said, “You called on the phone and said they told you something, but now you’re denying it.” He repeated his challenge by asking, “Are you scared of them? Don’t be afraid; there’s nothing they can do to you.”
Sam Larry’s intervention placed Lil Frosh under further pressure because he was now presenting a separate account of what allegedly happened after the instruction from Davido. While the released recording features Lil Frosh speaking to Zinoleesky, Sam Larry’s claims concern another conversation between them, adding another dimension to the disagreement.
Zinoleesky Responds to Questions About Recording the Call
Zinoleesky also addressed the controversy after the old conversation became a major subject of discussion online. Beyond the statements attributed to Lil Frosh, attention turned to the circumstances surrounding the recording itself, particularly why Zinoleesky had preserved a private conversation during such a sensitive period.
The singer responded through his X account on November 9, 2026, writing, “Now d conversation changed to y I recorded 5 days after d whole country said we killed someone ok … EUPHORIA ON D WAY.”
His statement appeared to question the direction of the discussion, suggesting that attention had moved from the contents of the conversation to his decision to record it. The reference to the country accusing them of killing someone reflected the intense public allegations directed at people associated with Marlian Records following Mohbad’s death.
Zinoleesky also ended his post with the words “EUPHORIA ON D WAY,” apparently referring to his forthcoming music project. He did not provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances that led him to record the call or why he decided to retain it for more than 3 years. His reaction brought another dimension to the controversy, with the purpose of the recording remaining a talking point.
Wahab Malik Questions the Recording, Later Corrects Himself
Another development emerged on Tuesday, November 10, involving content creator Wahab Malik, who questioned the timeline attached to the leaked telephone conversation. His initial concern centred on a portion of the audio that he believed contained a reference to Zlatan’s wedding, which he felt raised questions about the reported September 17, 2023 recording date.
Malik also questioned VDM’s intentions towards Davido and raised concerns about the way the activist had presented the recording. His initial interpretation attracted attention because the timing of the conversation was important to the wider dispute, particularly given that it was reportedly made just 5 days after Mohbad’s death.
Malik subsequently released another video acknowledging that he had misheard the relevant portion of the audio. He clarified that what he initially interpreted as a reference to Zlatan’s wedding was not what was actually said. His correction addressed the particular objection he had raised about the timeline, although the recording’s date remained a subject of discussion.
How the Disagreement Between Davido and VDM Started
The latest dispute emerged against the background of an already strained relationship between Davido and VDM. The activist had previously described how he became acquainted with the singer after Davido followed him on social media, explaining that their relationship initially involved friendly exchanges and occasional music promotion.
Recounting the relationship, VDM said, “After Davido followed me, I was excited. After then, we became cool. If he drops music, I’ll show love by promoting it. We had a couple of conversations in the DM, but to be very honest, it was always him asking for favours. I’ve never asked him to do anything for me.”
VDM subsequently alleged that he discovered a WhatsApp group conversation involving people he associated with Davido’s circle and other public figures. According to the activist, the discussions concerned plans to have him arrested in 2024 because of his advocacy for Mohbad. He said the discovery surprised him because he had previously maintained friendly relationships with some of the people allegedly connected to the discussions.
Explaining his reaction, VDM said, “I was surprised. Me and Davido, we dey cool, and me and the same crew guys were always laughing. How come these guys were the ones who planned my arrest when I was spending months in Kuje?” He further described his feelings, saying, “I was betrayed. I was like, why? I just wanted to confirm something. I wanted to ask why your boys were in such a WhatsApp group. When he did that, it was very, very disappointing.”
The activist also claimed that he repeatedly attempted to contact Davido to obtain an explanation. Describing the message he allegedly sent the singer, he said, “For you to plan my downfall like this, if I see you here, I pass like this. You see me, I pass. And you dey follow me laugh. You dey do bro, bro.”
Dre DMW Challenges VDM Before the Audio Release
Before the recording became the centre of attention, Davido’s aide Dre DMW had already confronted VDM over his allegations against the singer and people associated with him. On November 6, 2026, Dre accused the activist of spreading false information and questioned the basis of his claims concerning Davido’s alleged involvement in his arrest.
Dre wrote, “Vincent, you too dey lie. No single truth for wetin you yarn. You need make them feed you truth.” He also questioned why VDM was directing his accusations at Davido’s associates instead of seeking an explanation from the authorities involved in his arrest.
He continued, “Suddenly, Vincent no know why dem arrest am. Sebi na NCC department you dey arrest people and na them arrest you. So why you no ask them why dem go prison?” Dre further accused the activist of deliberately creating controversies and relying on information supplied by other people.
In another post, he wrote, “You’re useless guy, Vincent. E be like say you dey create lies. You and all the people wey dey feed you lies.” He also told the activist, “Focus on selling market wey you gain followers for. Stupid boy.” The exchange established that the disagreement between VDM and Davido’s camp was already public before the November 9 recording release.
The Social Media Reactions
The leaked conversation generated different reactions, particularly over whether Lil Frosh’s statements established that Davido personally wanted Zinoleesky to leave Marlian Records. Some users questioned the absence of Davido’s voice in the recording, while others focused on the possibility that the alleged advice was motivated by concern for Zinoleesky during the difficult period surrounding Mohbad’s death.
One commenter identified as @its.ttokonkwo challenged VDM to produce direct evidence of Davido’s alleged instruction, writing, “Now show us when Davido told Lil Frosh to call Zino.” Another user, @queen_rantimi, questioned VDM’s previous relationship with Davido and referred to their interactions, writing, “You knew all this and you go him weeding go chop, dem Lodge you for hotel, oga Enter room, this one no still enter.”
A different interpretation came from @kiii_ra0, who suggested that advising Zinoleesky to leave the label could have been an attempt to protect him from the situation surrounding Marlian Records. The user wrote, “This is just what everyone can do! You hear say them bullied someone till he kpai and you know someone in that same label, shey you no go offer them solution?? Anybody can do this especially someone you’ve signed before.”
Another commenter, @dazzlnbeau, questioned whether the conversation proved that Davido wanted to sign Zinoleesky. The user wrote, “Sorry but this doesn’t prove shii!! Everybody was pitying zino when this saga was on!! Ppl compared he’s before and after pic and told him to leave!! And in this voice note, I ddnt hear him say that davido wanted to sign zino! He was only worried about hes future!!.” Meanwhile, @yk__xyx wrote, “God bless Zlatan mother for telling him not to speak.”
The history of Lil Frosh’s association with 30BG also entered the discussion. User @samabilitythings0077 questioned the timeline, writing, “Iil frosh left 30BG 2020 and Mohbad died 2023,,so can you guys make this story make sense??”
The Questions Still Surrounding the Controversy
Several important details remain central to the developing story. The first concerns Davido’s alleged telephone conversation with Lil Frosh and whether he actually instructed him to approach Zinoleesky about leaving Marlian Records. The released audio captures Lil Frosh describing such an instruction, but Davido’s own voice is not heard in the conversation.
Another issue concerns the alleged conversation between Lil Frosh and Sam Larry. Sam Larry has publicly claimed that Lil Frosh contacted him about the instruction, introducing another account into the disagreement. The separate conversation has not been presented publicly, leaving Sam Larry’s accusation at the centre of that part of the dispute.
Zinoleesky’s decision to record the September 2023 conversation also remains unexplained. His November 9 statement questioned why people were concentrating on the recording rather than its contents, but he did not disclose the reason he preserved the exchange. Malik’s correction concerning the supposed Zlatan wedding reference also brought the recording’s timeline back into discussion.
VDM’s allegations about a WhatsApp group and his arrest remain part of the wider disagreement. The telephone conversation involving Lil Frosh and Zinoleesky is separate from those claims, which have also drawn responses from Dre DMW and Lil Frosh.
The 2023 Conversation Returns to the Centre of the Mohbad Controversy
The September 17, 2023 telephone conversation has brought Lil Frosh, Zinoleesky and Sam Larry into another public disagreement involving Davido and VDM, reviving events from the period immediately following Mohbad’s death. Its release on November 9, 2026, opened another chapter in a dispute that had already involved accusations about private communications, an alleged arrest plot and relationships between members of different music industry camps.
Lil Frosh’s reported conversation with Zinoleesky remains the starting point, while VDM’s explanation for releasing it, Sam Larry’s confrontation and Zinoleesky’s reaction have expanded the controversy. Malik’s initial objection and subsequent correction have also added to the discussion surrounding the recording.
The complete original audio, the alleged separate conversation between Lil Frosh and Sam Larry and a direct response from Davido remain important to the unfolding story. For now, the recording has brought the 2023 events back into public discussion, with the people involved offering their own accounts of a conversation that took place just days after Mohbad’s death.
