Ugbaja Emeka Augustine, also known as Dr Whyte, a music executive and CEO of California based Southnice Records, during a recent interview shed more lights on the major reasons a lot of artistes leave their labels before the contract expires, as well as who’s to blame for any bridge in contract.
According to the music executive, Nigeria music labels are rapidly going into extinction.
He said: “Whenever there is a bridge in music contract the artiste is always the first to blame because they never take their time to understand what was stated in the contract before signing their life away. So, whatever terms the label throws at them irrespective of the outcomes they jump on it without thinking 5 years ahead. This is the major reason why there is always a bridge in contract. Anyone who creates a contract will always try to put terms and conditions that favors them more and if you as an artist doesn’t know the terms and conditions including the consequences you are doomed to have issues in future if your brand becomes bigger than the terms offered you.
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These days of record labels are gradually coming to an end. In fact, they going into extinction. This owes to the fact that they are no more breaking new artistes which is the sole reasons why record companies were created in the first place. A label during the times of Hip Hop was formed to build superstars from scratch. Labels are supposed to keep finding fresh new talents and developing them into global superstars. These days what labels do is to put money into promoting artistes who are already gaining massive audiences. This is solely because most artists these days don’t have the patience to transform into becoming a global artiste which involves hard work, consistency and patience.”
While speaking on what it takes to break an artist in the fiercely competitive Nigerian music industry, Dr Whyte noted that ”it takes a lot of trust and finance. This is the era of social media and online streaming. To break a new artiste in this 21st century, it all depends on a game of numbers and influencing power. When you find the right type of artiste the audience is looking for and with the right type of song, the results will be a commercial success.
Every artist has their strengths and shortcomings. You can’t compare Davido with a Wizkid or a Kizz Daniel with a Tekno. These are all unique and talented artists and they all do best in their genres and creative comfort zones as artists. It takes talent, hard work, persistence and smartness to succeed as an artist in this 21st century. If your manager or label can do everything for you as an artist then you are not caught out for this game. “
