Veteran Afro-Juju icon, Sir Shina Peters, has revealed how he once pretended to be mentally unstable in a calculated move to rebuild his public image after a controversial fallout with his former boss, Prince Adekunle.
Speaking during an episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast, the Ace crooner said his exit from Prince Adekunle’s band was met with intense backlash, as many accused him of betrayal and greed.
To salvage his reputation, his record label and media associates reportedly devised an unusual plan — to make him appear “mad” in public, thereby drawing sympathy from fans.
“People protested against me when I left Prince Adekunle’s band because they believed I left my father figure for money. Then my record label boss and some media people suggested I braid my hair, wear torn clothes, and walk around like a madman,” Shina Peters revealed.
According to him, the bizarre stunt began in Oyingbo Market, where he was filmed buying ewedu in dirty clothes, and continued in Badagry, where he acted like a mentally challenged man at a Julius Berger construction site.
“They told me to eat in public and behave like a mad person. I didn’t even know what they were up to until later. It was all to make people pity me,” he said.
The veteran singer noted that, though unconventional, the strategy worked perfectly — it changed public perception and helped him rebuild his image as a solo artiste, paving the way for his later success with hit albums like Ace and Shinamania.
