World’s third biggest music record label, Warner Music Group, has gone into partnership with Chocolate City Entertainment, one of the leading record labels in Nigeria.
The partnership is aimed at growing local (Nigerian) artists by giving them international exposure, and ultimately promoting the Afrobeats.
About the partnership – The deal will see Warner Music invest in Chocolate City’s talent development. The global music company will handle the Lagos-based label’s international distributions.
The Chocolate City brand will not be altered by this partnership. This is because the company’s core management will continue to run the label and develop local talents. It will, however, leverage Warner’s expertise and distribution to get Nigerian artists international exposure.
Other international music companies have invested in the Nigerian music industry
This won’t be the first a major international record label will be partnering with a Nigerian label. As a matter of fact, Warner Group is only catching up with the trend already set by its rivals – Universal Music Group and Sony Music.
Note that Sony’s RCA label is home to two of Nigeria’s biggest stars: Davido and Wizkid. And Universal Music recently opened an office in Lagos.
Afrobeats is now going global
The fact that many international companies are jostling to establish presence in the Nigerian music industry, is testament to the fact that Afrobeats has gone global. And with the likes of Wizkid and Davido continually putting the Afro music on the world map, it seems these record labels are in for good times.
Recall that not too long ego, Nairametrics reported that Mavin Records secured a multi-million-dollar equity equity investment from Kupanda Holdings. This shows that it is not just the global music companies that are jostling to take advantage of the opportunities in the Nigerian music industry.
The good news
According to Obi Asika, the Founder Afrobeats/hip hop label Storm, this development is a welcome one as it is good for the ecosystem.
“These deals are good for our ecosystem because clearly everybody now knows our music and culture has gone global. However our biggest market is domestic, and the biggest opportunities are local.”
About Chocolate City Entertainment
The record label Chocolate city was co-founded by Audu Maikori, Paul Okeugo, Jude Abaga and Aibee Abidoye. It was one of the earliest Afrobeats labels, signing artists like Ice Prince and Brymo.
Chocolate city doesn’t just sign in artist and record their music, they also have other services like management, as they have taken on one of Nigeria’s legacy artists, Afrobeat star Femi Kuti, son of Fela.