I made Nigerians know Declan Rice — Nigerian rapper Odumodu Blvck claims

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Odumodublvck has sparked social media backlash after audaciously claiming that he introduced Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to the Nigerian public.

The controversial statement was made during a recent podcast appearance on Tea with Tay, where the host, Taymesan, openly admitted to not knowing who Rice was, even asking the artist if the Englishman was a footballer.

Seizing the moment, the rapper confidently declared that his smash-hit 2023 single, "Declan Rice," was entirely responsible for the player's popularity in the region.

Odumodublvck went as far as claiming that the elite midfielder was largely unknown before the track's release, boldly stating that his song caused Rice to "blow up" and directly led to his massive transfer.

The staggering claims immediately ignited a firestorm across social media platforms, with countless football fans deriding the Nigerian artist's assessment of football history.

At the time the hit track was released in early 2023, Rice was already an accomplished England international and the captain of West Ham United.

During his tenure with the East London club between 2017 and 2023, Rice established himself as one of the premier defensive midfielders in global football.

His exceptional performances during his final season culminated in West Ham lifting the 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League trophy, definitively proving his elite status before the Afrobeats anthem topped the charts.

While the rapper's claims regarding Rice's prior fame are exaggerated, the profound connection between the artist and the athlete remains entirely undeniable.

Upon the song's initial release, Rice publicly acknowledged the track, sharing videos of himself vibing to the infectious lyrics on his personal Instagram account.

The synergy reached an absolute peak in July 2023 when Arsenal successfully acquired the midfielder from West Ham.

The North London club officially used Odumodublvck's track as the background music to announce Rice's monumental £105 million transfer.

Ironically, while the rapper claims to have introduced the footballer to the world, the massive exposure generated by the Arsenal announcement video was arguably the primary catalyst for introducing Odumodublvck to a truly global audience.