By Segun Adebayo
Over the years, there have been numerous cases of fall outs between artistes and their record labels which have left many artistes struggling to come back to spotlight. In this piece, SEGUN ADEBAYO and YEMISI OLA take a look at some artistes who have struggled to come back to the spotlight after falling out with their labels.
Every upcoming artiste is passionate about one thing – the desire to succeed, and to fulfill his/her dream. The dream, however, may not come to fruition without the backing and dominant force of a record label. From funding their music projects to promotion and branding, record labels, without any shadow of doubt, play significant roles in the making of successful artistes.
The Nigerian music industry has over time witnessed the emergence of numerous record labels, some of which have come and gone, while others have stayed and maintained relevance, producing A-list artistes through branding, marketing and promotion of their sounds and leaving indelible memories in the minds of music lovers.
These labels have proven their worth by showing that they have the financial capacity and technical know-how to build the careers of artistes and place them on the map of world’s standard entertainers.
As much as there has been a rise in the competition between labels signing new acts, the news of artistes leaving their record labels has not ceased.
While it’s true that the internet has been a brilliant medium for artistes in many ways, giving them an alternative route to make contact with and sell directly to fans, however, record labels do much more than distribute to retailers. The moment an artiste gets signed to a label, the story changes– the transformation process commences as the artiste begins to see himself as an international sensation.
While the relationship between artistes and their labels is often mutually beneficial, there is the possibility of that relationship becoming contentious. The reason is not far to seek – the more successful an artiste becomes, the greater their ability to renegotiate contracts to include more favourable terms. Often times, most labels don’t entertain renegotiations because it destroys the status quo they have hitherto enjoyed and this usually results in a face-off which ultimately ruins their relationship.
Findings revealed that some of the face-offs recorded between artistes and their labels in Nigeria in the last few years were triggered by artistes’ inability to keep the contractual terms of the agreement signed. While it is believed that most artistes usually sign unfavourable deals in the early stages of their career, as soon as it takes off and they begin to see the bigger picture, they are tempted to call for a renegotiation, an act which the labels, in most cases, don’t like to consider.
The reasons for artistes being stifled by the music business are numerous. While some stakeholders submitted that once an artiste’s creative vision is at odds with the labels, or they’re sidelined after the one who signed them leaves the company, their fortune begins to nosedive. One other factor is lack of commercial value and success as this might force a label to be reluctant to spend more money to further an artiste’s career.
In some instances, when an artiste drops an album and it didn’t record success as expected, it may discourage the label from further promoting any future projects by the artiste. These pitfalls mean that the majority of artistes may not make it to the limelight for the foreseeable future. And, in an industry that is constantly churning out new contents due to pressure from fans to get more, quitting the scene for a while usually puts artistes’ career in jeopardy.
Despite the seemingly cordial relationship that exists between record labels and their artistes, many labels have experienced the spike in the abrupt or unceremonious separation between both parties. The reason for such separation is always a thing of wonder, but most often than not, the artistes leave under the guise of unfavorable contractual clauses or breach of contract agreements.
After making a decision to leave their record label, most of these acts that were once considered as ace hit makers, having attained a height of recognition in the music industry, suffer setbacks. The implication of this is to go back to square one by rebuilding a brand for themselves afresh in order to stay relevant and prove themselves as all time hit makers. The journey back to the top where they once dominated doesn’t come easy for many hence they to go into extinction.
Speaking about why artistes usually struggle to keep the momentum going when they quit their labels, veteran DJ and producer, DJ Jimmy Jatt said “The journey to the top is not an easy one and in order to get back to the top, many of these artistes have to put in much work in terms of rebranding, promoting and marketing of their brands and they also have to put in extra work in creating quality sounds that would draw the attention of fans and music lovers who once considered them as A-list hit makers.
“When you look at the number of artistes that have fallen off with their labels and how they struggle, you will realize that those who make it without their label’s support went through a lot of challenges. But one thing is certain, when you have good materials and you don’t give up, you will get back to where you deserve but it is not always easy,” he added.
Kukere master, Iyanya is one artiste whose career has experienced a lull for a while. It is believed that his exit from Triple MG some years back did more harm than good to his career. His attempt to revive it by teaming up with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records much later didn’t yield positive results as subsequent songs didn’t succeed commercially. Iyanya rose to fame after winning the first season of Project Fame West Africa and made a name for himself on the big stage with sold out shows and hit tracks. Little or nothing has been heard about him after he announced his decision to leave Mavin some years back. Just on Thursday, he was announced as the Senior Special Assistant on Security and Entertainment to Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade.
From Iyanya to Pop singer and songwriter, Reekado Banks, who spent five years with Don Jazzy’s Mavin records. His record deal with Mavin Records came as a result of his brother, Temi, submitting some of his songs to the label in an online talent search. Banks got signed to Mavin after his entries were selected from over 5000 entries. During his time there, he doled out hit songs both in collaboration with other music stars like him and individually as a sole artiste which earned him a huge fan-base and a top spot in the list of ace hit makers of his time. He is popularly known for his single “Turn It Up” featuring Tiwa Savage. But since he left Mavin, his music career has not enjoyed the same attention.
Sean Tizzle had made his debut on the music scene with the D’Tunes produced record, ‘Sho Lee’, which became an instant hit, one that birthed a profile-raising moment which drew attention to his talent. He was the rave of the moment and sang his way into the hearts of many music lovers who could not resist his unique voice. In fact, Sean Tizzle at that time was one of the most booked artistes on the Nigerian music scene and beyond. He rocked tours and shows but a change of fortune set in for his career when he left D’Tunes to float his record label. Tried as he did, the ‘Loke Loke’ crooner at different times pushed for a return to limelight with a couple of songs but it seemed to be a tough journey back to stardom.
Humblesmith:
Another artiste who appears to be struggling to make a comeback into the game is Humblesmith. The singer ruled the airwaves with his Osinachi track, one that forced Davido to ask for collaboration, but he would later lose the momentum as soon as he announced his exit from N-Tyze. He was said to have had a fall out with his then boss, Bob Kelly Ovie Williams, laying the reasons for his leaving on the premise of improper documentation and mismanagement of funds.
Humblesmith has, however, informed insiders that he was making a big come back into the music industry and take over from where he left. In a recent interview, he said he now understood the music terrain better and was ready to bring back to the good times for his fans who have consistently demanded new songs from him. It remains to be seen if the diminutive singer still has more to offer as far music is concerned.
While it may not be out of place to say that some of these artistes have gone from ruling the airwaves to being barely recognised or remembered by lovers of their music, one cannot but wonder where the glorious days have gone and if there is ever going to be a comeback for them.
Originally published at Nigerian Tribune