The dispute involving Nigerian singer Qing Madi and her former record label, JTON Entertainment, continues to unfold with no clear resolution in sight, as both sides maintain sharply different accounts of the legal and commercial battle at the centre of the disagreement.
What began as public frustration over missing songs from Qing Madi’s Barely Legal EP on Spotify has now developed into a layered dispute involving contract ownership, court interpretations, and competing claims over who initiated legal action.
In earlier statements, Qing Madi accused her former manager, Joy Tongo, of forgery, interference, and deliberate sabotage of her music career. She also linked the disappearance of songs from streaming platforms to ongoing tensions between both parties, framing the situation as part of a wider struggle over control of her catalogue.
JTON Entertainment, however, has firmly rejected that narrative.
In a detailed response, the company insisted that it did not initiate hostility in the matter, stressing that the dispute is strictly legal and commercial in nature. According to JTON, the case revolves around contractual obligations, rights to recordings, and the protection of investments made during its working relationship with the singer.
The label also denied allegations of intimidation or harassment, describing such claims as misleading and not reflective of the actual proceedings. It maintained that all actions taken so far fall within lawful boundaries and are subject to ongoing court supervision.
A key point of contention remains how the court process itself is being interpreted publicly. JTON argued that recent commentary misrepresents the status of the case and what the court has or has not decided, insisting that no final determination has been reached.
The dispute over court rulings has also been challenged by Qing Madi’s current management team, KFMD, which has previously pushed back against JTON’s account. KFMD maintains that the singer was a minor when she signed her original contracts and that she later exercised her legal right to repudiate those agreements after turning 18.
They also argue that parts of the court’s ruling support her position, particularly around her ability to manage her career independently and enter new agreements outside her former label structure.
JTON, on its part, has maintained that the matter is still active before the courts and should not be interpreted through selective public summaries. It also referenced its broader distribution arrangements, insisting that certain recordings remain subject to existing agreements and cannot be exploited outside approved structures.
Meanwhile, songs from Barely Legal remain partially unavailable on streaming platforms, with no official timeline given for their full restoration.