The passing of the musician Mohbad, who had a record deal with Naira Marley’s Marlian label, has sparked a variety of debates and rumors on social media concerning the music.
A dispute between music firms and their former signees has been the subject of one of the contentious online debates.
While artists like Wizkid and Kizz Daniels are among the select group that found success after leaving their former labels, EME and Flyboy Inc., respectively, the same cannot be said for those who found it difficult to shine after leaving.
As she described her distressing experience, YBNL Princess Temmi Ovwasa criticized her former label boss Olamide and his wife.
A young vocalist discusses the relationship between Nigerian music labels and artists.
According to Emperor Phemz, the Nigerian music scene is more like an apprenticeship.
He said:
“It’s more of an apprenticeship rather than an actual contract held on the basis of an artiste, having something to offer the label.
In most cases, any artiste leaving his/her record label over the slightest issue, is on the verge of losing relevance; as the artiste would be blacklisted and no Top A Movie Director would wanna work with the so called artiste.
The increase in charge wey the Director go give sef go dey outrageous for him to back out and if the artiste is liquid, you’ll hear things like ‘Go And Beg So so so'”
Artists don’t have freewill
Phemz also spoke on the need for artists to have a say.
“An artiste signed on to a label should also have a say. If you talk or do too much, you’d be laid back and focus will be shifted to another artiste asap hence my stance that it’s more of ‘ a boss and apprentice’ stuff and not ‘label boss and artiste’. No free will again, as most of these label bosses are into different groups.”
According to Phemz, music labels in the Western world are in a different group.
He said:
“A label boss won’t be too concerned of the artiste’s drama if they’re still generating money from the said artiste. For them, Ego (meaning money in igbo language) is key While over here, na Ego – self importance dey is what they are after.”