Just yesterday, I came across a statement made by a Nigerian artist that was formerly signed under a record label. He said that the reason he left the record label was because he was beginning to feel more like a product whose sole aim and purpose was to bring money to the company. So, when it got too much for him and he couldn’t handle it anymore, he left.
As expected, many people came for him and a number of them were not on his side. Although when you consider it, this artist could have really had an enviable career as an artist. He had one of the best debuts at the time and he was also signed to the label when it was at its peak. He also dropped a number of bangers, but for some reason, he left the limelight and we stopped getting songs from him. I don’t know why that happened and I’m pretty sure he did what he felt was best for him as an individual.
However, his statement though, is what I’m trying to dissect. He mentioned feeling like a product and having only a purpose to make money for the label, but is that such a bad thing? No matter how we think about this, the world of music is a world of business. Nobody there is your friend, that’s why everyone is really serious about contracts because nothing can be more binding than that.
When someone invests millions of naira in your talent, they’re not doing it from the goodness of their hearts. They’re making such an investment with the hope that you’ll make so much more money for them. Record labels do a lot when it comes to taking care of their artists. They basically handle everything for them and give them the reach to touch global audiences. Without record labels, the only artists we would know are the ones who have money of their own, or the ones with rich parents.
But then, like I said, it’s just a business transaction and as long as you’re delivering your end of the bargain, then it’s all good. Treating them like a product is not right, and doesn’t even sound ethical. However, the investors will be willing to go to whatever lengths to recoup their investments and reap a massive amount of profit. Major record labels round the world do this, they force their signees to do things that they know will make them more wanted by the market. They’ll sexualize them, have them do things that they’re not comfortable with. All for them to remain relevant.
It doesn’t sound fair, but it’s business and everyone is in it for themselves. The smart artists save up and once their contracts are up, they set themselves up and go solo. Or they take better contracts that will be more beneficial to them. Technically, none of what the labels do are illegal, the only problem that arises are as a result of ethics and what we’re comfortable with.
I’m just saying that expecting sympathy from investors is like taking a knife to a gunfight and expecting them not to shoot you down. If everyone delivers their end of the bargain, everyone is happy and by the time the contract expires, they could still be on good terms. Not that when all is said and done, there’ll be nothing but bad blood all around. It’s just not good.
So, I’m not in support of treating the artists as a product. However, I can say that I understand it though. Because the point of any business is to strike while the iron is hot and make all the money that you can. Ethics will always take a backseat in the face of shrewd business strategies. It’s not fair, but it is what it is.
