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We have heard so many stories about artistes being picked from trenches by record labels having the intention of signing them, the artiste happy that they have finally made it, signed contracts without reading the terms of agreement or consulting a lawyer.

Then years later, after the artiste becomes a success, things get sour because the artiste realised that he or she is been cheated as a result of the terms of the signed contract resulting in a feud between the artiste and their label.

The feud may also come to fruition because the artiste now wants to start their own label and renege on the contract signed with the label, with all these usually cumulating in both parties ending up in the courtroom.

Now let's go though some Nigerian famous artistes who have had issues with their record label. This promises to be fun and I hope you enjoy it.

1. Wizkid vs EME

Before launching his Starboy imprint, Wizkid was under Banky W’s EME Records. He fell out with them because of the unfavorable split he was given on his contract – where he was allegedly getting 25% of his turnover.

This was at a time when Wizkid was the backbone of the label and one of the biggest acts in the country.

He asked for a review of the contract, but an agreement wasn’t reached, and as a result, he left. This later led to an online spat where Banky W said he will be replaced by a better artiste.

In response, Wizkid said,

“I can never be replaced, you mistook my loyalty for stupidity so don’t get mad that I’ve decided to move on with my life.”

They have since settled their beef, though, and there is (at least publicly) mutual respect between them.

2. Morgan vs Jude Okoye

In 2013, Cynthia Morgan signed a recording contract with Northside Entertainment Inc., owned by Jude Okoye.

A few months later, she released two chart-topping singles “Don’t Break My Heart” and “Lead Me On” which was positively received by fans; the latter went on to be nominated for “Best Reggae/Dancehall Single” at The 2014 Headies.

After releasing a few hit songs, Cynthia went into isolation until 2020, when she finally returned to social media and trended heavily after claiming that Jude Okoye, the owner of record label, Northside Entertainment, took everything she owned away from her.

The singer made this known during an Instagram live session where she vented that she lost her name and Instagram account due to a bad contract.

The singer also claimed that Okoye owed her an undisclosed amount of money.

Okoye, in a bid to vindicate himself, released a copy of the contract between both parties, eventually leading people to attack Morgan for her deliberate attempt at gaining sympathy through lies.

3. Kizz Daniel Vs G-Worldwide

Nigerian singer, Kizz Daniel came onto the music scene in 2014 with his hit song, “Woju“; he was signed to G-Worldwide Label as at the time.

In 2017 Kizz Daniel got into a dispute with his record label.

The reason for the dispute was reportedly over the singer breaching the terms of his 7-year contract he signed in 2013.

The contract was supposed to end in 2020 but Kizz Daniel decided to exit the label without fulfilling the terms of the contract. The singer had several restrictions placed on his ability to collaborate with other artistes.

Because of the dispute, an injunction prevented him from performing throughout the festive period of December 2017.

The singer had to change his stage name from ‘Kiss’ to ‘Kizz’ even though, he had release his critically acclaimed and commercially successful Headies-winning 2016 debut album, New Era when he was signed to still Kiss and was singed to G Worldwide.

The album had hit singles such as: ‘Woju’, ‘Laye’, ‘Good time’ and ‘Mama’.

In 2017, the singer started his own record label, Flyboy Entertainment and he started releasing music again. The singer released his sophomore album, ‘No Bad Songz’ through the label.

Despite all the progress Kizz had made, G-Worldwide, still tried to get the singer on a leash as they filed another N500 million lawsuit against him. The duo have since been in and out of the court trying to resolve the issue.

4. Asa vs Question Mark records

“I’m talking to you jailer … stop calling me a prisoner …"

Those lyrics were meant for Kevin Luciano, CEO of the defunct Question Mark Records, Asa’s former record label. But how things even get to the point of Asa referring to herself as a prisoner?

In 2002, Asa competed in the first season of Star Quest but did not advance beyond the preliminary stage.

Despite this setback, she developed a working relationship with Cobhams Asuquo who became Question Mark’s in-house music producer and together they made her first major single – Eye Adaba.

This launched her career, and some will say the Question Mark label.

The relationship did not last though. Alleging threat to her life by Kevin Luciano, and claiming the label was trying to sign her onto a foreign deal without her consent, Asa left them in 2006, without releasing an album.

Question Mark responded to this by saying she was contractually bound to them and that they owned her materials. They claimed they had spent over N14million on her, bought her a car and housed her, but were yet to get their money back.

They released her songs in an album titled The Captivator but that did not stop Asa from moving to France, where she signed a multi-million-naira deal with Naïve, a French record label.

In 2007, she released her official self-titled debut album, and it featured some of the songs in the previously released The Captivator.

The feud went on for a while and in 2012, Asa called Question Mark criminals on Twitter, after an album titled “Down on Me” was released. She sought legal action and even though sales did not stop immediately, promotions for the album did not continue.

5. Runtown Vs Eric Many Entertainment

Years before becoming a superstar, Runtown had sign a record deal with Eric Many Entertainment, owned by Prince Okwudili Umenyiora, billionaire CEO of Dilly Motors in 2014.

A few hits later, their relationship went sour and things escalated after his label accused him of signing for and attending events at their back – a breach of contract.

Runtown then sought to terminate his contract in May 2016 after finding the situation unfavourable.
He alleged that there were payments he never received – from live performances, recorded royalty income (MTN Music Plus, caller ring back tunes), etc. The singer also alleged he received death threats from the label.

The label responded by getting an injunction, preventing the singer from performing or recording, pending the ruling from their lawsuit. They also obtained another injunction against him in the USA, where he was billed to kick off a US Tour.

Eventually, both parties resolved their issues out of court with Runtown remaining on the label for one more year but with an improved contract that gave him more creative control.

6. Vector vs YSG

The Vector-YSG fued began in 2013.
Before that, their romance lasted for about four years and it seemed like a match made in heaven before their fued started.

In all his songs, Vector always made it a point of duty to call the name of his record label, yelling, YSG.

According to sources, problems arose after the rapper began to express dissatisfaction with the pace of his career development and the label’s casual attitude towards it.

He suggested that they employ more professional individuals and when they refused, Vector hired people and started paying them personally.

Issues escalated when Vector took a self-sponsored vacation to the US and returned only to meet his record label boss' anger, who claimed that he went to the States to sign a record deal.

Although Vector denied the accusations, he ended up receiving an summoning letter, from the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State, to the Area-E Command in Lagos.

On getting there, he was presented with a “breach of contract” petition, claiming that he had employed external hands to work for him. His parents got involved, as his dad is a retired police officer, and it was settled amicably.

Feeling unsafe and threatened, Vector surrendered the car and apartment YSG had provided for him and went about his daily life, until he was eventually arrested at a music video shoot and detained until his lawyers came through.

The label went ahead to file an injunction against Vector at a Federal High Court, preventing him from recording, composing or releasing any material as a recording artist.

For 9 months, his career stalled as he battled the injunction until both parties decided to settle out of court – with Vector buying out his contract, at a discounted rate.

The whole debacle ended with the artiste writing an open letter where he apologized to the label for ‘everything’.

The whole incident evidently affected the artiste’s career, until after a few years when he was able to wriggle his way out of the mess.

I hope you all enjoyed the video, please don't forget to like, comment and subscribe to my Channel Afro Hype Media https://youtube.com/c/AFROHYPEMEDIA for more. See you guys, soon.

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