In Africa as elsewhere, popular music has long been complexly articulated with the struggle to create, texture and defend viable life-spaces under challenging economic circumstances. This talk is a reflection on recent developments in Nigerian popular music, focusing on songs dealing with the 419/internet scammer controversy ("Yahoozee," by Olu Maintain, "No More Yahoozee [The Reply]," by Harri Best Moradiyo, and "Oyinbo, I Go Chop Your Dollar," by Nkem Owoh), and on musicians' reactions to the Central Bank of Nigeria's recent attempt to outlaw the "spraying" of cash at ceremonies.

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