Nigerian highlife singer Flavour, whose real name is Chinedu Okoli, has disclosed that he once battled masturbation addiction, which is colloquially known as soapy.
The foremost singer-songwriter made this known during a TikTok live session with friends, revealing that the habit started after he lost his virginity and later lost contact with the woman involved.
With no sexual partner at the time, he said he turned to masturbation, which eventually became an addiction after a friend introduced him to Mapouka dance videos from Congo.
Flavour said his addiction lasted for about two years and became so serious that he felt ashamed and struggled to connect with friends, even during simple activities like watching football.
He also shared that at one point, he “even used liquid soap” while dealing with the addiction.
The singer said he first looked for help from his mother’s pastor, who he described as a Guidance and Counselling expert. He said the pastor suggested a “21-day fast” with prayer points, but the addiction came back just days after he finished.
Flavour later told a bassist he played music with about his struggle. The bassist thought the problem was related to his youth and not having regular sexual activity. He then took Flavour to a brothel and paid for him to have sex with a woman there.
The singer said he then started using the money he made from playing music to visit brothels every week. He said this choice eventually helped him overcome the addiction.