In a recent interview with British media personality Madame Joyce, popular Nigerian singer Crown Uzama, known by his stage name Shallipopi, shared the intriguing backstory behind his unique moniker. Shallipopi revealed that his stage name is derived from the 1994 Chinese kung fu comedy film, “Shaolin Popey.”
The singer explained that he explored various options for his stage name, attempting to use his birth name, Crown, and experimenting with nicknames like Drip Face. However, it was the accidental discovery of the movie “Shaolin Popey” during his childhood that sparked inspiration for his distinctive stage identity.
During the interview, Shallipopi reminisced about the incident, stating, “I was looking for a stage name, so I was like let me coin something from the movie Shaolin Popey, that’s how I came up with my nickname.” He humorously recounted that the mix-up occurred when his mother purchased a Tom and Jerry CD, but it turned out to be the movie “Shaolin Popey” when they played it in their DVD player.
Shallipopi took the opportunity to clarify his musical genre, emphasizing that he doesn’t categorize his music as Afrobeats but rather as “afro-talk.” He added a playful note to his description, asserting that he identifies more as a talker than a rapper within the music landscape.