Nigerian singer, Waje, has disclosed that she did not receive any payment for lending her vocals to P-Square’s 2007 chart-topping hit, Do Me.
The 45-year-old vocalist made the revelation during an appearance on the HonestBunch Podcast, where she opened up about her early experiences in the music industry.
According to her, despite being the female voice behind the song’s memorable chorus, she was neither credited nor compensated for her contribution.
“I didn’t earn a dime from P-Square’s ‘Do Me’,” she said, recalling how she faced disbelief whenever she claimed ownership of her voice.
“Imagine being in Onitsha market and telling people that’s my voice every time Do Me is played, and they look at you like, ‘who are you?’ They didn’t believe me.”
Waje, whose real name is Aituaje Iruobe, became popular in the mid-2000s largely because of her powerful rendition on the track, which remains one of Nigeria’s most recognisable pop songs.
She further explained that she missed appearing in the song’s music video because she did not have a passport at the time of production.
The song, Do Me, was one of the standout singles on P-Square’s third studio album, Game Over, which cemented the twin brothers’ status as leading figures in Africa’s pop scene.
Despite the lack of compensation, Waje’s vocals on the track helped showcase her talent to a wider audience and opened doors for her later solo career.
While reflecting on the experience, the singer emphasised how such early industry challenges shaped her resilience and approach to music business negotiations today.
