TOP 10 BIGGEST BREAKUP AND SPLITS IN NIGERIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY 2013

2013 has been a year of various splits and breakups in the Nigerian Music Scene .In this year alone, there have been high profile splits/ disagreements (some still unconfirmed) between record labels/ management and artistes such as Wizkid, Wande Coal, Jesse Jagz, Brymo, Vector, Naeto C,  Chuddy K and more.

As the year ends in some hours , i am writing this post on TOP BIGGEST BREAKUPS 

EME/WIZKID

 This was a Breakup Of Life . It was a surprise to everyone how this happened. Well Wizkid grew up quickly than expected and became a Man. Kudos to him . Most people thought and still thinks that he was the one that added the spice to EME record. Wizkid formed his own label – STAR BOY RECORDS. He has been doing well since then .

So do you think he should have left ?? Has EME been same since his departure ? Lots of question to answer

PSQUARE/MAYD

 Another Split was that of May D leaving Square Records. August 2013. It was said that May D was not happy at square records and  he felt that they were not doing much for his career. A press release  said

“I, JUDE ‘ENGEES’ OKOYE of Square Records Limited and Northside Entertainment Limited hereby announces to the general public that Mr. Akinmayokun Awodumila, otherwise known as MAY D is no longer an artiste under the aforementioned outfits due to irreconcilable differences. We at Northside and Square Records wish him all the best in his career and life.”

CHOCOLATE CITY /BRYMO

 The Bug hit Chocolate city twice as  not too long after Jesse Jags left ,Brymo   also left May 2013. He left the record label and  released a new album, Mechant Dealers & Slaves in October . It was not a mutual breakup as Chocolate city insisted that he was still with them under his contract till 2016 . It was that bad that it beacame a Legal case .

It was said that when Chocolate City consistently failed to fulfill its obligations under the contract and rather than resolve amicably, the label is devising strategies to ensure that the Artiste remains unproductive.

“I’ve been very loyal to the contract, working hard to be heard, but I’ve been cheated by Chocolate City,” Brymo lamented.

If you missed out then catch up here on the Controversy between both parties

CHOCOLATE CITY /JESSE JAGZ

 The breakup Bug hit Chocolate city badly this year, starting with Jesse Jagz march 2013. He Left and formed his own Record Label , Jesse Jags Nation .Jesse Jagz, 28, was signed to the label along with his elder brother Jude ‘M.I’ Abaga in 2008.

Although it came as quite a shock to plenty of people close sources to Jesse Jagz and Chocolate City tell us war has been brewing between the ‘Wetin dey’ singer and the hip-hop label.
According to a reliable source, Jagz, ‘was fed up with the way the label was handling his career and decided to frustrate them in return.’

There were allegedly two major accusations the label made against ‘Jargo’; the first that he was financially indebted to them.
‘Choc City said Jargo owed them money, there were several cases where he would travel to the North for a gig and wouldn’t bring back anything to the label. At times, he would claim they paid him just to appear and that didn’t hold under his contractual agreement’.
The second was his sustained substance abuse. There are very strong claims that Jesse Jagz, a truly talented rapper and producer, is a Marijuana addict.
What do you think ????

DTUNES/IYANYA

 This was another Artist – Relationship Breakdown as talented music producer and hit-maker Adesanya Doyinsola better known as D’Tunes parted ways  in March 2013 with pop singer Iyanya and his record label Made Men Music Group (MMMG) after working with the label for over three years.
Already, the NIIT graduate has set up his own production and record label outfit called Difference Entertainment and he’s signed R&B-Pop singer Sean Tizzle. Iyanya’s MMMG still fields two other artistes – the pop singer Emma Nyra and vocalist Bassy Okon.

What could have been the reason for DTunes leaving after helping Iyanya with his three hit singles? This is a question we are at lost to answer now

KENNIS/JAYWON

 After Jaywon declared his intention to leave Kennis Music in an interview with Hip TV in March 2013, the record label came out to say that he’s still under contract and should not expect to leave soon.

An excerpt from the statement reads “It has come to our notice via Ayo Animashaun led Hip TV’s one sided story, as usual, that Jaywon is leaving Kennis Music. For record purposes and the future, no one on Kennis Music signed a 1 Album deal; however, Jaywon signed for 3 full Albums with only one out (Meet Jaywon).”
According to Jaywon,“There has to be a time for improvement and everybody wants to grow. What I wanted to do was improve myself and build my own team. That’s what I’m trying to do, build a team for myself. My next album will be under Kennis Music, but after that maybe you’ll get to meet a new team for Jaywon. That’s what it is.”

STORM RECORDS/ NAETO  C

 May 2013 , Popular rapper Naetochukwu Chikwe known as Naeto C broke off from his label Storm 360 Records. He ended the relationship with the company that launched his music career in order to fully launch his WKG/Cerious Music label .But the label, headed by Obi Asika insisted that Naeto C is still signed on the label.

A director with Storm360, Tola Odunsi was said to have acknowledged that Naeto C owned a record label called Cerious Music even though he was under Storm Records.

Naeto C’s profile is still active on the Storm Records official website but so is General Pype’s, an artiste who left the Record label long ago.
Naeto  changed his management team and is now being managed by Godwin Tom who also works with Wizkid and Waje.
The rapper joins R&B singer, Darey Art Alade, who also emancipated from Storm Records to start his own “Soul Muzik”. Several other artists have left Storm Records for different reasons — Sauce Kid, GT the Guitarman, General Pype and more. Yung6ix, L.O.S and Ms Jaie are the label’s current artists.

MAVIN RECORDS /WANDE COAL

 Just Less than a year  that Mavin Records was launched ,Breakup Bug hit  as Wande Coal , the Golden voice singer leaves Mavin Records. It all started in July 2013 but was confirmed in November 2013 as an official statement was released.

Wande left the label setting up his Black Diamond Entertainment outfit taking along with him the Mavin official disc jockey, DJ Spinall. Along with his manager, Nana Abbey, Wande now operates on his own. It was also alleged that D’Banj’s former manager, John ‘Bankulli’ Abisagboola, is also working with Wande Coal

Some sources says that the reason Wande did not sign with Mavin when the record label launched was that he strongly believes Mavin Records cannot move his career to the next level and disagreement over sharing of monies with Wande not willing to shift ground on 10% with Mavin asking for 20%.

Though before the confirmation, it was gathered that Jazzy slammed his former label mate, Wande Coal, for allegedly stealing one of his songs titled ‘Baby face’ November 5, 2013 and shortly after, Don Jazzy took to twitter to make a quick rant not divulging details.

“How long will I continue to sweat and some people will choose to steal from me? That I am nice and easy going doesn’t mean you should disrespect me,” Don Jazzy tweeted with the subject of the matter left in the dark.

It didn’t take long before he tweeted his own version of Baby face explaining that he had recorded a studio demo about a year ago, going ahead to tweet a link to his own version describing Wande Coal’s action as intellectual property theft..
Missed how it all started? Read Here

Would Mavin Record survive without Wande coal ?????

CHUDDY K / SQN RECORDS

 May 2013 , Nigerian singer, Chukwudi Kent Aghali, popularly known as Chuddy K,  parted ways with SQN controversially and established his own label -Kent Records .

Even though a release was issued that Chuddy K was still signed to SQN, he confirms that he has left due to contractual agreement /issues from his management’s end which ended dirtily. He explained how he had a chat with SQN label boss concerning his slow progress, while his boss told him off and asked that he should get a lawyer if he wasn’t happy with the situation.

The scintillating singer last week in an interview said he left the label because of the way he was treated.Addressing newsmen on the recent development in the industry, the SQN boss, Wale Kuku said that there was nothing like treating Chuddy K badly. He said he cares first about the feelings of the artistes under his label. ” No doubt, Chuddy K was a talented singer while with us and he is still talented.

But saying that he was treated like a small boy here is what I know never happened. I care most about the feelings of my artistes. As I am talking to you now, his termination of the contract is illegal because, his contract is till December 2014.It is either he comes and completes his contract with us or, he pays all that the label has spent on him,” Wale said. He has 18 months left in his present contract with SQN.

Did Chuddy K really leave illegally ???

SHEYI SHAY /FLYTIME

 The UK returnee Nigerian pop singer Seyi Shay ended her deal with  Flytime Promotions/Records outfit  headed by Cecil Hammond in October 2013. Seyi has signed a new deal with a UK-Nigerian based management company J-Management who released a statement announcing the deal along with two promo singles. She has since changed her twitter to include J-Managements emails as her contact details.
An official statement from J-Management reads ‘Seyi Shay has officially signed a new partnership deal with international talent company J-Management following a pilot collaboration‘. And for confirmation of the breakup, Bayo Akande, a rep for J-Management said ‘Yes it’s true, she left a while back, we’ve been working on this for a while‘,

It was in 2011 that Seyi Shay joined Hammond and Flytime and also  another returnee Tiwa Savage  later left his outfit to sign with Don Jazzy‘s Mavin Records in  2012. Two very talented artistes leaving Flytime records within a short span of time can be heartbreaking

DAVIDO / MANAGER

The breakup fever started in January 2013 as Davido’s Manager , Asa Asika and his friend parted ways. They parted amicably .

Here is what Asa said concerning the fall out:

‘Really, I don’t like to comment on an issue that requires me to negatively discuss my friends in the media. All I want to say right now is, my parting with Davido is a joint decision and amicable. I enjoyed a cordial relationship with his father also. So it is false that his very accommodating father gave me the boot. It was a tough decision I took by myself with Davido’s consent. He cannot tell you otherwise’.

Asika also revealed that he is ready to move on as he has set his sights on new projects, and looks forward to keep up with his good work.

Gossip Network gathered that , the official line from HKN is “HKN feel he should have stronger management’,” while Asa’s camp says “Although they have parted ways, it was amicable and they remain friends with a mutual respect for one another.“

Davido rise to fame with Asa’s support was a really positive example of talent and youthful resourcefulness working well together. From an unknown teenage musician and young manager, to an African superstar. They did well.

Thanks for reading . So in your view which breakup was the biggest in 2013 ????