Rapper Edem [left] and Byno
Byno Ayoni, the talented winner of the 2023 TV3 Mentor competition, has opened up about a distressing chapter of his journey, revealing instances of bullying and harassment by his former record label, African Multimedia Company, during his time on the show.
In an interview on Hitz FM on May 8, 2024, Byno shared the challenges he faced as he navigated the competition, recounting how derogatory comments were directed at him, particularly on social media platforms, by an individual associated with his former label.
“When I performed, someone would come and write derogatory things about me in the comment section. When I saw it, because I’d been working with them for a time, I knew how they constructed their sentences and then I noticed it was one of them who was doing it,” Byno disclosed.
The toxic environment created by the bullying took a toll on Byno’s mental and emotional well-being, nearly causing him to withdraw from the competition.
However, the timely intervention and encouragement from his mentor, renowned rapper Edem, provided him with the strength to persevere.
“They bullied me to the point where I almost withdrew from the competition, but my mentor, Edem, said, ‘No, you’ve gone too far; you can’t leave the competition’,” Byno revealed.
Despite facing relentless attacks, Byno chose to focus on his performance and refrain from engaging with the negativity on social media.
He credits this resilience for his success in the competition, which ultimately led to his victory.
However, the bitterness from his former label resurfaced when Byno failed to acknowledge them in a post-competition interview, prompting further discord.
“Right when I was done with the competition, my first interview, I gave shoutouts to people who supported me in the program and left them out. They were upset about why I didn’t acknowledge them for playing a part in my growth. When you were constantly attacking me on social media, you expected me to give you a shoutout?” Byno expressed.
