At just 25 years of age, this singer has had more than his fair share of tribulations so much so it’s almost safe to call him the Nigerian music industry’s ‘Cat with nine lives’.
The first coming
In 2008, he entered the Zain Tru Search competition and won in the competition’s North Central region. He later relocated to Lagos and signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment in 2009.
Signing with EME was a huge feat for him and his career received the much-needed boost.
He got signed the same year with Wizkid, but somehow he always played second fiddle to the ‘Starboy’. He kept honing his craft and skill, dropping songs like ‘Mukulu’, ‘Keresimesi’, ‘Komole’, ‘My Baby’, ‘Take Care of Me’, but somehow they didn’t hit the right chords.
In February 2014, on expiration of his contract, EME failed to renew.
The second coming…
And as the saying goes, what doesn’t kill only makes you stronger. He rose like a phoenix!
NET Exclusive: Skales opens up on EME exit, controversy and new label signing
First he floated his own label, OHK Records and in July 2014 he signed what has been described by industry pundits as the biggest record deal by any contemporary Nigerian act.
Skales put pen to paper with Baseline Records in a deal reportedly worth over N200 million which included a brand new car, a house, cash advance, and upkeep allowance.
READ: What Howie T told TheNETng about Skales and his N200m record deal with Baseline
Then he dropped the biggest song of his career, ‘Shake Body’. He followed up with a couple of decent songs and finally dropped his debut album Man of the Year in 2015.
He enjoyed a decent run, did a couple of tours, and even landed an endorsement deal with MTN Pulse.
Then, seven days ago, everything almost came crashing down! His beloved label ‘Baseline music’ went 0 – 100 on him and his manager, Osagie Osarenkhoe. The duo was arrested, detained, and accused of fraud.
It wasn’t funny.
Once again, Skales lit up social media and all sorts of revelations about the contract he signed with Baseline was revealed. He stayed off social media for 6 days until the case was resolved.
READ: Skales throws Osagie Osarenkhoe under the bus, returns to Baseline
He ended up throwing his manager, Osagie of over 10 years under the bus. He swallowed his pride, apologised to the label and signed a new management deal with Upfront Bookings.
The third coming…
He’s done it before, but can he do it again?
What’s his next song going to sound like? What will his future look like?
We’re betting this will not be the end of the controversies, just as it definitely will not be the end of the hits and fortune. If Wizkid is going global and breaking boundaries, what can we expect from Skales when he gets his own chance?
We can’t wait!
