The expansion of Nigerian music has been massive, and the growth, exponential within the past decade.
This evidence of this growth can be measured by a number of variables, with key markers being the influence of our stars on the continent, the export of local talents to foreign markets, the involvement of brands seeking endorsement from the rulers of pop culture, and the partnerships with international record labels.
These markers are representative of two core aspects of the game being, being, the measure of artistry, and the commercialization of talent. Of all of these, the only one variable marries them both aspects, and that is the partnership with international record labels.
This is because signing a deal with an international music company shows the degree of talent an artist possesses and the business potential that exists with exporting that talent to a wider audience. This is where commercialization and artistry overlap.
This, in itself, is rewarding to the artist both as a personal fulfillment for work done, and the financial rewards that come with it.
Nigerians have been known to sign lucrative deals with international record and distribution houses. These deals vary, spanning various musical processes, including recording, distribution, and publishing, with some of our major pop stars announcing mouth-watering deals.
We therefore brings together a list of stars who have put pen to the dotted lines of an international contract within the last two years.
Davido (Sony Music Global, January 2015)
The HKN singer is currently in the ninth heaven right now after signing a recording and distribution deal with the entertainment giants. The deal which was signed in New York, is worth millions of dollars, with Davido expressing his happiness at the turn of events in his career.
Sony Music Global also has running contracts with Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, and several others.
Seyi Shay (Island Universal Music, June 2015)
2015 was a good year for the sexy singer who got snagged by the UK division of Universal Music.
Sey shay was signed on the strength of her song ‘Murda’, the hit single featuring Patoranking and Shaydee.
Island Records is a major American record label that operates as a division of Universal Music Group. It was founded by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica and has been based in the United Kingdom since 1962.
The label has an impressive roaster of talents including, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, Drake, Gotye, Hozier, James Morrison, Jessie J, U2 and others.
Patoranking (VP Records, February 2015)
Patoranking’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of meteoric, and the singer has his talent and aggressive marketing to thank for that.
The singer signed a deal with the biggest reggae music imprint in the world, VP Records, in February 2015. VP Records prides itself as the largest reggae music label in the world. The imprint founded in 1979 has over fifty four acts on its roster.
Some of these artistes include Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Barrington Levy, Mad Cobra, Mr. Vegas, Shaggy and Maxi Priest.
Brymo (Tate Music Group, March 2015)
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On March 31, 2015, Brymo via his management company The Bali Entertanment Company LTD headed by Lanre Lawal, signed a recording and distribution deal with US company, Tate Music Group (TMG). The deal is a territorial deal that covers the United States alone.
The deal involved the singer releasing an international album, ‘Trance’, which was let fly in August 2015. It contains songs off his “Merchants, Dealers & Slaves,” and “Tabula Rasa”.
Burna Boy (Universal Music, April 2015)
Burna Boy signed a deal with the with the largest music corporation in the world – Universal Music.
The Nigerian artiste is one of the most celebrated in the country with incredible artistry which has seen him experiment with a plethora of unfamiliar sounds and vocal textures to good effect.
He sealed a deal with Universal Music with the signing of an ‘Exclusive Songwriter Agreement’ (ESWA).
ESWA or “staff writer” contract, is a legal contract in which the song writer generally grants all of the publisher’s (Unviversal Music) share of the income to the music publisher. The writer’s (Burna Boy) services are exclusive to the music publishers for a specified period of time. Thus, any compositions written within that period belong to the music publisher. These deals are usually offered to writers with some degree of success. Because the writer has a track record of writing hits, the publisher feels confident that it will recoup its investment. In return for signing away exclusive rights to some or all the writer’s songs, the writer gets paid by the publisher a negotiated advance against future royalties.
CREDIT:- Pulse.ng
