Veteran female emcee, Sasha Pee who launched her music academy, The HARDKNOCK Series last month has shared a few tips on how young artistes can maintain healthy relationships with their record labels.
In a post on her Facebook page, she acknowledged the peaceful transition of both Simi and Tiwa Savage from the respective former labels in the past week, meaning such is possible on the Nigerian scene, as opposed to the many ugly cases recorded. The rapper therefore took out time to give advice to new and upcoming acts; three(3) important tips she considers necessary for smooth operations with a label.
“First off, you have to get a good lawyer. If you can’t afford good representation, there are alot of entertainment firms in Nigeria that do pro-bono work, so find one.”
“Secondly, do not take a huge advance. Please don’t be deceived into taking a payment for a career that’s just getting started. When you start getting billed for events and appearances, some artistes start to feel like they’re getting ripped off, when in fact they had been paid upfront, car, house and money to floss. The label has to collect on their investment, it’s purely business,” Sasha added.
In conclusion, the femcee commented; “The last and most salient tip is to – Do your part. Don’t think because you’ve been signed, you can now relax and start sending people on errands. You’re the CEO of your own brand, you’re a company. You have to make sure to keep improving your crafting, keep recording music, keep collaborating with your peers and attending networking events. Dream big because the label is only going to work as hard as you work. Maintain the energy you want the label to keep up with.”
The HARDKNOCK Series is a music academy facilitated by Multi-Award winning Rapper & Creative Director Sasha P. With over 15 years experience in the Nigerian Entertainment industry, joined by other Music Industry experts & guest instructors, it offers a variety of courses and resources to enable musicians and entertainment enthusiasts acquire the knowledge required to reach their full potential. for an intensive 6-hour course that is interactive and certifiable.