Some months ago, the Nigerian music industry witnessed a major controversy. It was between a frontline music producer, Northboi, and performing artiste, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid. The controversy started when the former made some shocking claims on social media after producing some songs for the latter.
The producer alleged that he had been threatened with a gun in his bid to claim publishing rights to some of the songs he worked on for Wizkid. He made this claim right after Wizkid had credited Killertunes, another producer, for working on Joro; and contributing immensely to his much anticipated Made in Lagos album.
For allegedly not being credited for the song, Northboi went on a Twitter tirade; lamenting how Wizkid gives no recognition to his efforts and hard work. He labelled the artiste as an ingrate; citing the lack of appreciation he got for giving Wizkid his first global hit after Ojuelegba and Don’t Dull.
“Person wey you do beat for dey fear to promote you make you no pass am. Na my hand you collect your last global hit. After me, all you have is Ojuelegba and Don’t Dull,” the producer said in one of his tweets.
Curiously though, despite the series of tweets from Northboi, neither Wizkid nor anyone in his camp responded to any of the allegations. However, Northboi’s alleged bitter experience would not be the first of its kind among entertainers. In fact, it is an issue that has stirred controversial debates among key stakeholders in the industry almost forever.
Random samplings of opinion by eelive.ng indicate that a lot of artistes have a sense of entitlement; which precipitate frequent clashes with their producers. Motolani Alake, a music critic once suggested that the average Nigerian artiste believes he is helping a producer by giving him the opportunity to express himself when they record a song together. As a result of this, they do not consider such relationships as business but mere benefaction.
According to Alake in an article titled “When and How Should Music Producers Get Paid in Nigerian Music”; the result of this perception is that artistes mostly feel that producers should be grateful; rather than expect credits, royalties, and advances. But producers are also getting more intentional in rejecting this treatment and Nigeria has seen a bit of the resultant public spats.
Many Unsavory Tales of Music’s Producers
Although Northboi’s outburst may be the latest in the many relationships gone wrong between music producers and artistes; it is just one of many the industry has seen in the past couple of years. Music lovers would recall the lamentation of leading producer, Samklef over not earning mechanical and publishing royalties for his effort on hit songs in Wizkid’s debut album, Superstar.
Koko Master, D’banj was also called out publicly over issues with producers. This was when a producer known as P-Loops accused the singer of refusing to credit and compensate him for his contribution to the song Emergency; which was enjoying massive airplay at a time.
Awarding winning OBO exponent, Davido, was also accused by producer. HOD accused Davido of allegedly exploiting his work in the production of Pere, a song featuring Young Thug and Rae Sremmund, without credit or compensation.
Ace rapper, Olamide was once accused by the official producer of DB Records, Deevee of frequently taking and using his beat arrangements whenever the rapper visited him in his studios.
Speaking to eelive.ng on instances of producer/artiste dispute; entertainment journalist and music enthusiast, Niyi Awoniyi told eelive.ng how unfortunate music producers have it; getting used and dump without so much dividend. “Despite the quantum of work required to create a song, producers are suffering unjustly. They just live in the shadows of musicians.”
Why So Much Injustice?
By its very structure, performing artistes are positioned to make most of the profit from the success of their published songs. They earn from live performances, digital streaming and downloads, tours, royalties and even endorsement deals. This is much unlike producers who mainly earn one-off payments and honour of mentions, if and when they come, for their creative efforts.
However, the uncertainty that attends the reward system for producers has become a source of worry for many practitioners who have tried to identify the challenges and proffer solutions. One of these is popular producer, Del B, who recently blamed instances where producers do not get paid for their works on the lack of an umbrella body.
The producer who spoke during a recent Instagram live chat with Now Muzik boss, Efe Omoregbe, said: “We don’t have a body. I can recall that sometime ago, a couple of producers came together to form a coalition. We had a meeting and it was supposed to be about producers forming a union. We got lawyers involved because we were trying to make everything very professional.”
“Part of the discussions we had was to have a body that represents us as producers. Then, the lawyers we were working with wanted us to have a publishing company, which of course I didn’t think was what we needed. What we needed most importantly was just having a union that can help us work together.”
“So, when the discussion of having a publishing company came up, a lot of people withdrew, which killed the whole thing. What I’m saying, in essence, is that having an umbrella body for producers is a must to combat this challenge,”
Speaking on the issue, another music producer, Spellz indicated that the problem is that a lot of people do not see music production as serious and worthy of professionalism instead of the largely ad hoc relationships that exist between producers and artistes.
“Music is a serious business and it should be done properly. Producers need to know their places with artistes,” he said, explaining that the contrary is detrimental to the future of the profession.
And this is the same point Alake tried to make in the article quoted earlier. The journalist and music critic highlighted the consequences of producers’ failure to be professional in their dealings, insisting that record producers who do not approach the business tactfully will get broke in no time.
“It will shock you that some of Nigeria’s biggest producers of the last decade cannot pay their own rent or afford basic amenities. Some of them don’t even own a car. Except you are Sarz, Don Jazzy, Shizzy, ID Cabasa or Gospel – who branched into playing live shows, 90% of your favourite producers are living below what they represent,” he wrote.
But is has not always been so
But eelive.ng understands that it has not always been like this with producers. Veteran producer, Laolu Akins, explained during a recent live chat hosted by Omoregbe that things were a bit different when he was active in the game. The producer who has worked with artistes like Afro juju start, Sir Shina Peters, Elegant Stallion Onyeka Onwenu and Bonsue Fuji exponent, Adewale Ayuba, amongst others, said producers were successful then because there was an umbrella body which instituted a structure for recording producers and performing artistes.
His words; “Then, it was PMAN. The group has all the major players involved, the young, not-so young, and the old. They came together and made things happen for the sake of the industry. So, in my own opinion, I feel it will be a good time to get everyone together.
Music producers had a better position, a better deal with artistes back in the 80s, primarily because we were organised. We didn’t have our own organisations or unions, but we worked with PMAN, which is our umbrella body because we have a lot of the producers who were also performing artistes.”
Also, RAVE Media founder, Samuel Isong told eelive.ng that producers have lost trust in PMAN; which formerly functioned as an umbrella body for producers. He advised producers to start putting a value on their brands; to engage professional bodies which will shouldered the responsibility of securing what is rightfully theirs.
His words; “To thrive as a producer in Nigeria, you just have to understand the modalities of doing business in the entertainment industry. I’m very confident that having a union or an umbrella body in place will not address the lingering challenge.
“Instead, there is a more pressing need for individuals to be professional and do things the right way to make the industry go. You can’t do this business alone as a producer. And as a result, engaging third parties to garner your profits in and outside the shores of the country is not optional.”
Similarly, renowned talking drummer, Gabriel Johnson aka Gabination, noted that altercations between producers and artistes will continue until producers rethink the rules of engagement as he opined that an umbrella body may not be of help. He told eelive.ng; “I don’t buy into the idea of producers coming together to form a union. I have many reasons for that, but I will keep my reasons private. The problem is not even about the artistes, it is about the producers, who need to separate relationships from business.”
Yet, There Are Some Success Stories.
While there are struggling producers in the music industry, observers point out that there are quite a number of producers who can hold their own and continue to do the country proud. These producers have not only carved a niche for themselves as mainstream celebrities but have successfully created music empires that accommodate other players in the industry. One of these few producers is Mavin Records boss, Michael Collins Ajere, otherwise known as Don Jazzy.
In an interview with PM News, he admitted that it is challenging to be a producer in the country. He explained that the money from the entertainment industry comes majorly from shows and endorsements for artistes.
He also explained that he was able to flourish as a producer by building a brand that is enormous, advising that anyone who wants to succeed as a producer to invest in other people’s careers.
“I think what people mean by saying I am a success is the fact that I have actually made a lot of money as a music producer and entrepreneur. Yes, I have built a brand that is enormous, but it is pretty difficult for producers in Nigeria to sustain themselves if they don’t have a team.
At the moment, we (producers) aren’t receiving money as royalties or from airplay. Some artistes would come into a producer’s studio to make a song and pay like N300,000 or N500,000, that money can’t go a long way to sustain the producer.
So, as a producer, you have to be creative and business-oriented.
You either set up a production or recording company in which you can make money from the places where the money comes from now by picking up your own talents and nurturing them.
At the moment, the money from the entertainment industry comes majorly from shows and endorsements. So, if you build a beautiful brand, you will make money when your products or artistes get endorsements. If you make hit tracks with your artistes, you will equally make money from the shows. That’s the only way you can succeed for a long time.
But as a producer, if you want to rely on N350, 000 today and N500,000 tomorrow and think those monies would accumulate into something, I doubt it. Producers have to try and invest in other people’s career so that they can be better off for it.”
Another producer who is unarguably one of Nigeria’s accomplished beat makers, is Cobhams Asuquo. In an interview with Premium Times, Asuquo who trained as a lawyer; noted that music is a business and until producers start pursuing a career in music as a business, the chances of being successful is slim.
“The business of music is a business and they have the attributes of any form of business. Talent is great but talent is not enough, talent is only scratching the surface. Talent is what makes you live from hand to mouth understanding the methodology of sustaining a business is what helps you build a lasting legacy.
Poverty has done a lot of damage in our space and a lot of people are concerned with the basic necessities of life. It goes beyond that because people are able to build cities and businesses based on proper business principles and managing and exploiting talents.
I think that is a serious conversation that the world needs to hear; we need to understand the value of proper talent management… That is why I said people from the Legal and HR need to involve themselves in music more,” Asuquo said.
So, is it every man for himself?
The preponderance of opinion seems to be that the days of depending on some pressure group to see to the optimisation of talent and the dividends accruing therefrom are history. The realities of current times favour professional who knows their onions and see their giftings as business and are able to explore the same to the fullest.
So, producers like every other talent in the music industry must know the value of contracts, which establish proper remunerations for what they do. They must also expand their areas of influence to invest in the careers of other people. That, according to Don Jazzy is the secret to success and wealth.