Zlatan Announces New Album “Symbol of Hope” — Viral Video of ‘Lekki Street Boy’ Demanding Payment Steals Spotlight

Nigerian Afrobeats star Zlatan on Monday announced he will release a new album titled Symbol of Hope on the 17th of this month — but a viral clip from a self-styled street beggar has quickly become the internet’s favorite sideline to the news.

In the short video that spread across social platforms, a man who calls himself “Lekki Street Boy” tagged Zlatan directly and made a bold, comic demand: before Zlatan drops any albums, he should settle an alleged debt to the beggar and his group — the so-called Almajiri Foundation. The man claimed Zlatan still owes them ₦1,000,000 and “one full ZTTW designer wear,” and insisted the album would not get his group’s approval until payment is made.

The clip — part humour, part theatrical performance — has provoked laughter and a flood of memes. Many Nigerians praised the beggar’s audacity and quick PR instincts, while others took the opportunity to share their own parody demands and jokes about forming “beggar associations” on their streets.

Fans of Zlatan remained excited about the album announcement, but social feeds were dominated for hours by reactions to the viral demand. Some users called the incident a perfect example of how viral culture can hijack a planned rollout; others stressed that the beggar’s claims are unverified and simply part of social media theatre.

Whether the demand was earnest or a stunt, it has added a layer of comic drama to Zlatan’s album campaign — and shown once again how fast moments from Lagos streets can trend worldwide.