Yemi Alade Shares Disturbing Tales of Early-Career Sexual Harassment

Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade has once again shed light on the troubling sexual harassment she faced as a rising talent, recounting how industry figures repeatedly took advantage of their positions while she struggled to gain her footing in music.

Speaking on the Swift Conversations podcast, Alade revealed that during her early years, encounters with music executives often turned inappropriate. What should have been simple business meetings or studio sessions frequently became moments where she had to fend off unwelcome advances—experiences that left her questioning whether pursuing music was worth the emotional toll.

She narrated instances where older men in powerful roles attempted to touch her inappropriately, including one distressing episode where a managing director rubbed her thighs during a meeting.

Reflecting on that difficult phase, she said: “In those beginning days, all I thought I needed was just my talent because that’s what I have. I didn’t have a bank account full of money I could use to sponsor myself.”

Despite her determination, she soon realised the industry demanded more than hard work and skill:

“I just had a talent and a zeal, and a promise that I made to myself and a promise I believed God made to me. So, I always tried to show up. I was told that I needed to work harder and so I worked harder, and it wasn’t enough. There were doors I needed to walk up to and when I walked up to the doors, they didn’t want my talent, they wanted something else.”

Recounting the extent of the harassment, she continued:

“Many times from business meetings to studio sessions to even winning certain awards and you meet maybe the managing director or any other executive and they are trying to rub your thighs under the table. And I was just a teen. My grand pa is rubbing my legs and I can’t speak because I’m in shock.”

Still stunned by such behaviour, she added:

“We are having an actual business meeting. Why are you rubbing my thighs? I had to speak to myself and decided if music was what I wanted to do because the sexual harassment was becoming too rampant. But something in me told me to keep pushing my talent. So, I still showed up. If door was left open for me, I would walk in. If it was shut in my face, I would walk away.”

These encounters eventually led her to a turning point. Instead of waiting for the industry’s “doors” to open, Alade said she realised she needed to carve out her own path—choosing to “break down the walls” that blocked her progress rather than depend on the approval of gatekeepers.

Her account underscores the challenges faced by many young women in the entertainment industry, where success often demands courage in the face of exploitation.