By Chiagoziem Onyekwena
It’s the passion and the lure of fame, more than anything else that motivates aspiring singers to press on even when it seems like no one is paying attention to their music; money is usually the afterthought. So in a ready-made recording contract, upcoming musicians are often presented with the shortest possible route to their dreams. Chuddy K was no different, after his recording contract with Lagos-based record label Satty Records ran its course, Wande Coal’s former band mate kept it moving, signing a 3 year, multiple rights deal with Beta Tunez record company in ’09.
Now, in a standard multiple-rights deal (a.k.a 360 record deal), record companies gain almost complete control over an artiste’s career, and in addition to gulping up the lion’s share of proceeds from his record sales, all revenue generated from touring and merchandising are also split up. Now, while it’s not necessarily every record label that drafts the controversial 360 contract with the intention of milking their artiste dry when they do blow, it’s imperative that artistes clearly understand their contractual obligations before signing on the dotted lines of this type of deal. Chuddy K learnt this the hard way.
The young R&B heartthrob struck gold in ’09 when his official debut record Slow Slow put his sultry voice on the radio and even though the song’s title rather than its impact came to define Chuddy K’s career in the months that followed, he kept working regardless penning records with artistes, most noticeably I.G.H.O and Mo’Chedda. However, according to Beta when CEO Adekeye Adeniyi took ill for an extended period, Chuddy failed to update the company on his activities, his performances etc. possibly depriving the label financially. So in something of a knee-jerk reaction, in March of ’09 Adekeye placed a gag order on Chuddy and quarantined him from the press. Chuddy’s name was in bright lights once again but this time, for the wrong reason.
Chuddy K and Beta Records recently held an album release party for the singer’s debut I Am Me; all is well that ends well. However, Chuddy and Beta’s public falling out is just another one in a long list of very public confrontations between artistes and record labels. Chuddy and Beta were able to mend fences and forge ahead together, others aren’t so lucky.
So to celebrate this rare truce achieved between employer and employee, we put together five of the nastiest artiste-record label disputes in recent time, just to remind you how much more differently things could have turned out to be.
Chuddy K’s debut album I Am Me is now available in stores and online.
