Creative designer Wavythecreative has spoken out on Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold’s WAVE earrings being a copy of his long-established pop-tab jewellery concept.
Adekunle Gold (AG), known for his bold style and artistic flair, recently expanded his creative empire beyond music. Under his Tuffman lifestyle and fashion brand, he launched a custom jewellery collection called ‘WAVE’ earrings on June 6, 2026.
The design features stylised pop-tabs inspired by everyday beverage can openers, such as those on soda cans. These pop-tabs, however, feature a signature wave motif inside. 
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AG described the project as a personal passion that began as a sketch he couldn’t stop thinking about.
“I’ve spent most of my life creating things people can hear. This time, I’ve created something you can wear. WAVE started as a sketch I couldn’t stop thinking about. I kept tweaking it until it got to this,” he wrote on his social media accounts.
Priced at ₦103,000 for silver pairs and ₦63,000 for single earrings, the WAVE Silver Pairs and Singles are currently available only for pre-order.
Limited-edition pieces in silver and gold finishes went on sale via Ash Luxury and Tuffman, quickly drawing buzz and memes labelling them “malt-opener earrings” for their clever street-to-luxury appeal.
However, some critics have called AG out for idea theft.
Wavythecreative: ‘The Pop Tab King’
Akhuetie Osemudiamen Victor is a Nigerian creative director, model, designer, and stylist, better known as Wavythecreative. For years, he has built a distinctive niche in upcycled fashion where he transforms real, collected beverage can pop-tabs into handmade jewellery and garments.
His creations include pop-tab earrings, rosaries, and full clothing integrations, which he often showcases in a “Styling My Designs” series on Instagram and TikTok.
“So there’s been a lot of confusion between his brand and my brand… But this all started in 2020/2021, when I used to call them ‘pop-tabs’ from most cans, from the ground, from anywhere I could find them. Then I made my 1st pop-tab earrings… Everybody associated this with me; everybody associated me with this. So from that point till now, I’ve been trying to post the brand out there as much as I can, posting pictures… I’m not trying to fight anybody for the idea or say I did it first. I’m just, I just want to make the difference between his brand and my brand,” he said in the video.
“Adekunle Gold is trying to shadow everything that I’ve tried to build, and it’s not fair. So I just want to make it clear,” he added.
As far back as November 2025, he branded himself the “Pop Tab King”, as he shared collections of handcrafted pieces made from tabs he personally gathered and curated over time under his “Wavy” branding.
Wavythecreative asserts he has been actively designing and promoting these accessories for over three years.
When AG’s WAVE earrings dropped, he posted detailed timelines, archival photos, videos, and process evidence, directly tagging Adekunle Gold. He highlighted similarities not just in the CanTab concept but also in the “WAVE”/“Wavy” naming and claimed his outreach attempts in AG’s DM were met with blocks and comments on AG’s posts were deleted.
Supporters of Wavythecreative see this as a bigger artist overshadowing a grassroots creative and criticise the alleged lack of acknowledgement or credit. On the other hand, defenders of Adekunle Gold note that can-tab jewellery has appeared in global DIY, street fashion, and upcycling scenes for years.
They argue the AG’s version is a more polished, commercial interpretation with a personal “Big Fish makes waves” branding tie-in, rather than a direct copy of Wavy’s raw, handmade style.
As of the latest updates, Adekunle Gold and his team have not issued a detailed public statement. The WAVE collection continues to be promoted, with strong reported interest and sales.
Wavythecreative, meanwhile, keeps sharing more evidence to clarify his timeline and contributions.
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