Nigerian singer Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has shared her thoughts on the growing trend of established musicians launching record labels to sign up-and-coming artists.
In a recent interview with VJ Adams, Simi expressed that while she’s open to mentoring young talents, she feels it’s not entirely fair when an artist signs another artist simply to mark a personal achievement. She emphasized that running a record label should be reserved for those genuinely invested in the music business.
“I can definitely sign an artist,” Simi said, “but I think it’s unfair when artists do it just to tick a box or hit a career milestone. For them, it might just be a side project, not something with real long-term goals. But for the person being signed, it’s their entire life.”
She continued by saying that only people with a true passion for the music industry should take on the responsibility of managing artists.
“You have to believe in the artist, even when they’re not trending or when their song doesn’t take off as expected. You have to be willing to stick with them,” she explained. “This is someone’s dream, someone’s future.
“When I was getting signed, I needed to know how seriously I was being taken—whether I was just another artist on a checklist or if my career mattered to them as much as it did to me.”
Simi concluded that while she might one day sign an artist, she’s not sure if she has the deep drive and dedication required to truly commit to shaping someone else’s journey in the music industry.