(Bella Shmurda. Photo by Leadership News)
Nigerian singer Bella Shmurda has recalled a painful moment from his struggle to make music, saying he once stole a neighbors boy’s bicycle and sold it to pay for a studio session.
The singer said the incident happened while he was living in Okoko, Lagos, when he was trying hard to pursue music but had no money for recording.
He took the bicycle at night, hid it and later sold it at a market for 7,000 naira to pay for studio time.
Even after becoming successful, Bella said the memory of what he did still bothered him. However, he eventually found the boy and bought him a new bicycle to make up for the theft.
Bellas rise to fame came in 2019 when his song attracted the attention of a popular rapper who featured on a remix.
That collaboration launched him into the spotlight and he went on to become one of Nigerias prominent street-pop artists.
But his story about the stolen bicycle shows a less glamorous side of his journey to success.
For a young artist with no money trying to keep recording, 7,000 naira was the opportunity he needed.
But it came at the cost of another childs property, something Bella now describes with regret.
The singer has also spoken about growing up in Okoko and his desire to one day return to his community as someone who could help the people there.
His story is a reminder that behind some success lies difficult choices made under tough circumstances, choices that may look different when seen from a position of success.
For Bella Shmurda, replacing the bicycle may not undo what happened, but it represents an attempt to make peace with his past.
“When we lived in Okoko, I once st%le a boy’s bicycle and sold it at Alaba for N7,000 to pay for studio sessions. I’ve bought him a new bicycle, but that incident was painful.” — Singer Bella Shmurda pic.twitter.com/NsRDeKUfQ6
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) September 9, 2026
