Don't Jazzy looks like the kind of guy to to to to to believe in
manifestation. He.
Does yoga in the. Morning.
He's an he does yoga. He's an Astro guy.
He also he also I feel like he does incense.
And he also does all. Those like, you know, he drinks
all those weird concoction. He does Seymos 100% down Seymos
every. 100,000% the
You're What's Up and welcome to episode 66 of the 30% Podcast.
I go by the name after Mephina and I'm joined by my amazing Co
host Sam AKA Jedediah. What's up?
Yo, what's? Up yo, let me tell you what's up
is you can find this podcast on the following platforms.
You can find this podcast on YouTube, You can find it on
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Podcast, Google Podcast and Anchor Podcast.
And to find that, you just have to type the magic words the 30%
Podcast. If you want to find us on social
media, you can find us at the 30% pod, on Instagram, on
threads, on X, on Tiktok, and on LinkedIn if you want to do some
linking and building. Sam, what's up?
How was your week? How is your life?
Are you feeling fulfilled as a human being?
Earth, are you talking? What are you talking about?
So you can't start. You can't start the craziness
early in the podcast. That's that's anyway that's
ridiculous. My feeling fulfilled.
I I am I I told you I quit. I quit music and then I woke up
the next day and recommitted to it.
And now you're back. Let's go.
Let's all celebrate. Sam.
For me?
Yeah. Listen, he's back.
The prodigal son. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. No, the prodigal, Sam, excuse
me, go ahead. But anyways, yeah, so it's been
cool. I've been, I've been creating,
been creating, been trying to figure out.
I'm working with with an artist, Ruby Nina.
She's amazing. So we've just been trying to
figure out to. Release I think we'll be
releasing next this month. It's this month, It's this
month, It's this month. Yeah, so just working on that.
I'm so excited man. This will be the first song I
have released in a while, apart from the songs I released with
Nashinski, so I'm super super. Is it?
Yeah, super hype. Yeah, super Hype about that do.
Do you? It's so you we can't say who
it's like, who it is, and Oh no. We can't any promo is good promo
at this point. OK, let's go.
So who are you releasing with Sam?
Her. Name is Ruby.
Nina. She's a she's a she's a
vocalist, so she does like she's done a lot of gigging.
She's also released music. Nice.
But she's she's incredible, man. She's incredible.
She's a brilliant songwriter and she has a very, very lovely
voice. So I've been working on, I've
actually been working with half for, I want to say, maybe since
20/15/2016, on and off. But now you know how the stars
align, the the stars just recently aligned like properly,
properly. So yeah, we have a song coming
out. I don't know if I should say
this. It doesn't matter though.
She's already posted it. She's posted it.
It's like I said, the name of the song is called Lovers on the
Low. It's that classic R&B sound, the
classic classic R&B sound. I'm really happy for it, man.
It came out really well. Yeah, I'm super excited, man.
She's one of the artists who I'm I'm, I'm looking to be working
with for a while. So excited, man.
Go peep her profile. We'll be doing my promo about
the song of the song. So yeah, I'm excited about that.
This is me plugging myself and my and the artists I'm working
with, but. It's.
Life. Yeah.
Apart from that, I'm cool. I'm chilling.
What's been happening, man? What's been happening?
I've been, I've been indoors. The whole week did you get up
to? I've been indoors the whole
week. I've been indoors the whole
week. I haven't done much, went to the
studio a few. Times an introverts dream.
An introverts dream. But I'm trying to get out more,
obviously. But apart from that, no, I'm
good. I'm good.
Chilling. Chilling.
Nice. Yeah.
What? What have you been up to?
Yo, this week has flown by man the.
Year is doing. The same, Oh my God, it rained
extremely heavily over here. Was that like, Tuesday?
I want to say it was Tuesday. It was actually kind of scary.
So I live around Kiambu's sides and it was almost like a it was
bro. It was almost a tropical storm.
I'm not going to like tropical storm.
I'm not. I'm serious man.
There was like in our place alone now like 4 trees fell
down. I'm not even joking.
OK. So that's yeah along along like
Ridgeways Rd. like I think like you know those electricity port.
Your OPS, if you're listening OPS, he's giving out his.
No, I said I no, I just said I just read you his road and I
said I leave it to Cambu they're gonna, they're also looking for
you so many different places I could so.
Maybe look at him trying to do it anyway so.
Yeah, but anyway, yeah, so that was kind of scary, I'm not going
to lie. And then power went for two
days, for 48 hours. Really.
And yeah. So this week was crazy.
It's I've never seen rain like that like in my life in Nairobi.
I'm not really like capping it rained crazy you know this side.
I don't know. And the wind so much, the wind
was almost like hurricane like tornado.
It was weird. It's crazy, actually.
Kind of scary, You know, so that.
Happened. You didn't go out and take
videos on your phone. Why?
Why not you? Missed.
I was in. I was in the house making beats.
Dedicated to the craft my bad making making us.
To the craft even making a storm falling apart.
Gosh. All right, all right.
So anyway, yeah, so that that happened.
And then, oh, interesting, I watched one.
Love oh the The Bob Marley Movie.
Oh, that's not what I thought you were going to say anyway.
All right. What?
What did you think I was going to?
Say, I thought, you say you're going to watch that, the
documentary I told you to watch. So you found time to watch Bob
Marley's, but you didn't watch that one?
Oh no, I haven't watched. I haven't watched the
documentary yet, but I did watch the Bob Marley movie.
Haven't seen that yet. How is it?
It's it's good. It's it's something.
OK, OK. If you're If you make music, if
you make. But if you make music, you'd be
very inspired because like, they have many scenes of where they
were just jamming. Is that what I did?
What they were jamming on like and just making the songs And it
it felt so interesting to see how they would come up with
music and him and The Wailers and stuff like that.
The the the dreadlock wig that the dude was wearing, which
interesting. The actor of Bob Bradley.
He was wearing a wig. I thought you about said that
because. He doesn't.
Bob's career. He was wearing a wig, bro.
I was going. No, no, no, no, no.
For the reggae like the actor. No, no, he wasn't the actor.
Like he was wearing a wig. First of all the actors like
from uki forget his name. Did you get there was a lot of
like, well he tried. He tried his best because there
was a lot of consternation about like the fact that he wasn't
actually from Jamaica. Yeah, yeah, a lot of Jamaicans
had beef with that. The the story is cool but the
only problem is it really it doesn't show like his come up.
It's really just like focuses like it.
It just kind of cuts in when he. Picks off when he's already.
Yeah, yeah. But but but you see, I don't
mind that though because I feel like Bob Bob, Bob Marley's story
is becoming like biggies now Biggie and Tupac like we have,
it's been we have we have a million Tupac documentaries a
million Biggie documentaries, I. Think No, But to be honest, like
some, I didn't know too much about his story like that.
So for me, it felt like a breath.
Like for me, it wasn't like played out, you know?
So I actually enjoyed I I found it very informational.
And yeah, and it was sad at the end.
And bro, you know, he was only 36 when he died.
Really. Wow.
Like, that's insane. That's crazy, I thought.
He was old. I thought he was at least in his
40s. He does look.
He has an old face. He has an old looking face.
But bro was 30. 6 Not say something that will get
cancelled for them. We can get cancelled for that.
Like he genuinely does look old. No, like I was about to give.
I was about to give my my reason for why he was.
He looks old, but let's let's let's leave.
OK, anyway, yeah, imagine some accomplishing all that.
When you're that, like young. Like it's kind of.
Crazy it is. It's wild.
It's wild.
Think. About like the likes of like
Kurt Cobain dying when they were 27, like Imagine.
Yeah, Park and Biggie were not even 25, man.
Like, these are kids, if you really think about it, like, who
did and accomplished, like really great things, like early
on in their lives, man, which it's.
Super cool. But it's it's cool when.
You think about scary, intimidating.
Yeah, it is. It's cool.
And it's scary at the same time because then that just puts time
more in perspective. But we're not doing that, no.
We're not having an existential. Crisis.
We're not having an existential crisis on the podcast.
Nope. Nope, Nope.
But that's dope. Speaking of, I'd like to see
that existential crisis. Here we go.
But. A lot of Nigerians and Africans
in general have been having existential crisis.
Sam, do you want to know why? This is the worst segue I've
ever done? Actually, this is the worst
because it makes the. Worst.
And this is your second of the day, so you need to relax on
this. Just calm down on this.
Mr. Segue King here. Oh.
Calm down. Yes, I need to calm down.
I need to calm down. Do you know who sang Calm Down
Remma. You know what?
Label Inception over here. Is in mavens.
The segue Inception. I'm telling you to stop to stop
talking about segues. And then you find a segue inside
my. OK, All right.
You're you're a special kind of guy.
Go ahead, Raymond. Thank you.
Yeah.
So, so, so basically what I'm trying to like lead us into,
Yes, please, is the huge news. This is huge news.
It's actually very groundbreaking.
I felt like the world stopped rotating when the news actually,
and for the first time, Donjazi made us.
I didn't feel that way, but OK. Bro, for Donjazi to make a
serious post on his Instagram. You know how?
You know how Don Jazzy's Instagram.
Is rated Don't Just Instagram Too.
Bro, he's inside. Listen, I get very
self-conscious opening my Instagram because sometimes
there's times when I've opened my Instagram and it's Don Jazzy
and the first thing you see, you just see is something highly
inappropriate and it's Don Jazzy's fault.
And now somebody might think that it's me looking.
At no, it's because. I followed Don Jazzy and he
posts a lot of. That's all.
That's all done.
That's all done jazz, man. Like like it's crazy for for a
serious Aziz and making the the moves that he's making, he
definitely comes he. Presents very he presents very
serious. That's his brand, I kind.
Of, Listen, I kind of look up to that like, I like.
I like people who don't take themselves too seriously.
Yeah, like, I think it's dope. It's like you don't have to
always be this. Like, yes, we know like you're
making $1,000,000 deals in the back end, but like in real life,
people will see you as just like a guy who's like light hearted.
Just living and it actually. I think it helps.
I think it actually helps not to get to know DNT, but it helps.
It helps with the perception of your artists also.
I feel like like like it's. It's and the label in general.
Yeah, it puts something on them like, OK, these guys are cool.
These guys are chills. These guys are fun.
We can rock with them. Fun.
Yeah, Like Maven seems like a fun label just because of like
how Don Jazzy like does his. Business and look at the two
artists that they're pushing through.
They're like very, very hip, very, very cool, very playful.
The Two Maid Mill. But I'm sure when it comes down
to it, Sam, it's business. So you know, like it's not.
This, I mean this. This whole deal is definitely
business fam. This is.
A oh, so the deal, the deal, the deal that Sam is referencing is
UMG, That's Universal Music. Group.
Secures A majority ownership of Afro.
Beats label maven global. I wish we had.
This is huge. We had a round of applause
without giving them a round of applause right here because
that's. OK, we'll just give them a
makeshift. A round of a slap?
A snap? Is that what you're doing a
round of? A snap?
No, I was clapping. Oh my God, Sam.
OK, there we go. So anyway, UMG has announced.
Well, what? No, I said.
That was the most, the most disjointed and most incoherent
flowers we've. Ever seen It was so disjointed
and it was not my fault, UMG has announced.
Anyway, UMG has announced a major investment in Nigerian
Afrobeat slave label Maven Global, with the deal expected
to close by the end of Q3 pending regulatory approval.
The announcement comes a few months after reports surfaced
about Maven exploring potential sale or investment
opportunities. So the deal is reportedly valued
between, Oh my God, $125 million to $200 million.
And if obviously UMG are purchasing a stake in this, then
that means the whole Maven evaluation is more than that,
which that's that's pretty good man and it's.
Sorry, there's a there's a big, big numbers I guess for a for a
home grown label. Exactly.
And I think that's good and see it aims so the the deal aims to
secure funding for Mavens expansion.
Considering the anticipated growth of the African music
industry on the global stage, paralleling the impact witnessed
with the Latin and K pop genres in recent years, I really tried
to pronounce that. Let me just read one more thing.
So the move also represents an expansion of UM GS footprint
within Afrobeats, a genre that has become a global phenomenon
evidenced by a 34% year on year increase in streams in the US
market. Also sub-Saharan Africa has
experienced a 34.7% year on year growth according to data from
the IFPI. And then last thing I want is, I
know I said last thing but last thing, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir
Lucian Grange said. Our criteria for identifying
partners is straightforward. Great artists, great
entrepreneurs, great people. With Don Jazzy Tega, the Maven
Global team and their artist roster, we found ideal partners
with whom to grow together. Maven's brilliant artists have
been catalyst in the transformation of Afrobeats into
a global phenomenon, and we're thrilled to welcome them into
the UMG family. Sam.
That's a. How do you feel about this
acquisition, big one? How do you feel about it?
I mean obviously. So obviously the first thing
that will come to mind is like this is, this is, this is dope,
I said. Because UMG is the biggest music
label in the in the world. Right in the world.
And yeah, they're paying special attention to, to this movement
that I feel like, yeah, that this movement that we have been
part of for a while, that we've seen grow and now we're really
championing. It's the the the, you know, the
pushing of Afro, of authentic Afro Afro music.
So it's like it. Looks do you think good Sam, do
you think do you think this deal goes through?
If Calm Down by Rama doesn't isn't a smash hit the way it has
been? I think Rama is is is talented
enough that if Calm Down wasn't a smash hit, he would have
probably had another. It's just Rama feels like the
guy who it was just returning his stars to blow up like that,
so. No, no, I'm saying but do you
think it's specifically interested in in purchasing, do
you think, I think do you think that the the, the success of
that song has a part to play in UMG actually being interested is
that, is that or is that just surface level?
No, I think it's it's definitely part, part of it because again
we're selling music, right. So a successful song is
definitely good part. But I think they all, I feel
like they also trust in what Don Jazzy has been doing.
If you don't, yeah, if you look at, if you look at his history,
Don Jazzy has been part of, he's been part, he's been part of the
Nigerian industry for a minute now he's he he was part of the
first wave. I'm not say the first wave
because I don't really know. But then he was part of the one
of the waves that really pushed Nigerian music specifically to
to the world with sure, yeah, with some of the people who who
he worked with and then he went back and started it again and
then he's done it again. So I think partly they might be
investing in his his mind because I I he's just I that guy
just brilliant, like just how he he's moved and the decisions he
makes and his team. All of that I think.
I think. And the way he curates his
Instagram. Maybe.
Maybe that was maybe that made the the thought about the deal
for a long time just because of that.
Like, I don't know if you want this guy on.
Maybe that knocked off like some.
Two, yeah. He knocked off some points.
Some maybe some points for him, yeah, no.
But but if calm down wasn't, I feel like calm down being as
successful as it is. Yeah.
And just Rehma, both Rehma, I want to say both Rehma and Iron
Style because Iron Style has also been making waves and and
doing big numbers and having like worldwide hits.
So yeah, definitely because of how they're pushing her now.
Gosh, I'm. I'm seeing her everywhere.
Pushing. Seeing her everywhere, it's
crazy, but yeah. Well, like like, OK, I I just
want to focus in on that. Like we've seen Ira star
everywhere this week, man. We've seen her taking pictures
with Harley Bailey. She's talking to.
Serena Williams. She's like Passion Week.
Relax. She's everywhere.
So now here's my question, Sam. And and I've been talking with a
lot of industry people about this like whole acquisition,
man. Do you think as Africans we can
scale to that level where we're in the international atmosphere,
stratosphere, whatever you call it?
Do you think we can do that without involving the Western,
you know, just the Western? What's the word I'm looking for?
This is the Western groups and the Western.
Connects Western market without involving the West itself.
Without. Yeah, exactly.
Just without involving the West. Do you think we can scale to
those levels? I don't think so, because
because because I think what the West is being is what we're
trying to do. Wait, you you you do or you
don't think so? That's what we're trying to do
right. Those are the goals is we want
to have because the West has has manufactured many many, many
global stars and that's what. Yeah.
And global stars with long lasting legacies and and
ridiculous impact and all their business.
So we're trying to replicate that.
And so I feel like they've been doing it for a minute.
They have that industry is over 100 years old.
I feel like unless we we have a completely different idea of
what success is, we're always going to use their metrics of
success as our metrics of metrics of success.
Unfortunate, I feel like. It's the I don't think it is,
though I don't think it. I think it's the nature of the
world, like we're all in this. No, it's not because because
because. Because American, for example,
American artists like, for the most part don't even look at
Africa. Even when they're doing their
world tours and stuff like that, Their world tour is really just
the Americas and Europe. And maybe Australia, maybe South
Africa to. Maybe South Africa has become a.
Budget left, if there was budget left for sure South.
Africa so, so, so they clearly can scale to that level without
really needing Africa. So.
So to to be like international stars.
But like, why can't we do? This but you see the argument
I'm making is that we're not trying to scale to their level.
I there they are the level like they're the ones who set set the
rules. They set the parameters of
success. Why?
Because that's what that's what brings me back to my last
minute. That's the nature because they
have been in the industry for years And so they it's just we
look up to them. They have we they're the
standard. So them being the standard, if
we want to attain any sort of standards, we're looking at
their blueprints and trying to follow that.
That's why we're seeing we're we see artists who are like people
like like again, just to use R.E.M. as an example, since
we're talking about Maven the moment he blew up.
We don't we don't usually see that here in Africa.
We don't usually see the PR the way they do it there, there.
When you see an artist is blowing up, then like a a new
artist, he's everywhere. He's doing all the interviews or
she's doing all the interviews. She's everywhere.
She's with all the stars and we're seeing Maven what do you
call it become successful using that blueprint because they're
using the blueprint is successful and and so going back
to your question, I don't think it's possible for us to get to
those heights or to to attain that specific type of success
without including them because they're just, they're part of
it. It's the blueprint and 1st to
be. Successful I mean have to tap.
Into that. Ultimately, if you even look at
all these like artists, if you just even have the time to look
at the big African artist right now and you look at who's
distributing their music. It's the West like.
All of them. Even Tyler.
Tyler is what Tyler is so neat. You you look, you look at Banner
boy. Banner boy is Warner.
You you look at Rehmer and then beforehand would see like some
UMG stuff and you know that have like a distro deal or something
like you know, there's always like a there's always a when
it's this big artist like maybe they're not in the label, but
there's always a like a publishing deal, a distribution
deal. They're, you know, they're
helping. You know, there's always a like
they they have an element. An element.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's just the nature of
what it is. It's the nature of what it is
because the success we we believe that the success is on
that side. So maybe it's it's it speaks to
how we think about ourselves and what do what do we term as
success and do we need to change?
Think about that perception. Think about the population, but
think about the population in Africa as a whole.
Like bro. Like if if we figured out like
the infrastructure to disseminate our music like
across the whole continent, we might damn near not even need
the West. But like I it's just figuring
out the the infrastructure to do so is is the biggest, is the
biggest hurdle because also you have to think entertainment
isn't like high on people's needs on Maslow's.
What's what's Maslow's hierarchy.
It's not really high. Maslow's Hierarchy of a Nation
doesn't have doesn't have music on the unfortunately.
Because as an African, we're dealing with so many different
things outside, you know, we're trying to survive.
We're trying to survive problems.
Too, because we're not. We're never going to.
We're never going to because this can get this can get very
cerebral and and politically and we're not trying to do that.
But but part of the problem is we have this perception that we
have to fix a lot of things first before we can try to
attain those systems. You know, and and and OK, so but
anyway. Oh.
Sorry, go ahead. OK.
So, so, so OK, what are the positives?
Like, what do you think is the positive for this deal
happening? And yeah, actually, what are the
positives and what are the, like, negatives?
I'll start. You go, I think, Let's say you
go first. What do you think the positives
are? So I think this is good because
like ultimately like you said Ira Star has been peddled every
title anywhere. Like the the marketing like for
this Commas song is insane. I've I've I've not seen them put
this much. Into any into a song.
Like, did they not they really believe in because?
Russia did really well. But they don't think they did.
They like Rush did well, organic, like it wasn't organic.
There's nothing organic. But I feel like commerce feels
like they have. They're really trying to make it
like. Maybe they're testing out the
system. Maybe they're testing out some
of that, some of that acquisition money.
Maybe they're like, all right, let's figure.
Out. Maybe they are, I don't know.
But, but you see like, like you see like so now African artists
are on that stage where we're able to be afforded the same the
same benefits that all these other artists get.
You know now you see Ira star in in the fashion weeks in these
things whatever like and and she she belongs there and African
music belongs there. African music belongs on the
international stage. So that's one thing it it puts
African music there. And I I think this is phase one
of the plan for Africa, bro. Let me tell.
You, bro, What's the other phases?
What's the other? Phase one this well this isn't
phase one but this is part of like phase one like like I still
feel like we're in phase one of African music and the the the
West's plan I think eventually really want to like.
Where is it their plan and not ours?
I mean, like you've read, you've read IFPI says that this is the
highest, the fastest growing region, 34.7%.
It grew last year, right? That means there's a lot of new
money, of new money, Sam, a lot of new money to be made.
And I feel like there's a difference between old money and
new money because like you can make money like in the European
markets or whatever, but like This is Money that they haven't
tapped before, which is exciting for the for the industry as a
whole. So anyway another benefit I
would say what other other benefit would I mean this also
opens the door for more labels more and and it's not like it's
not like the big, the big three labels haven't done acquisitions
of labels in Africa. They've been all the the
tentacles have been everywhere, bro, They've been.
Yeah, but not to this scale, not to this scale.
And therefore and and that opens the door for so many different
labels wherever like in Ghana, in Kenya, in.
Tanzania with Wasafi. Yeah to actually and and so now
so so mavens being like the Guinea the Guinea pig for this
will actually inform a lot of these labels on how to actually
move what to do the the the groundwork they they need to
achieve to get to that level man $200 million for the for part of
the. So you think you think we're
going to think we're going to see a lot, a lot more of of
this? Yeah.
How soon do you think we're going to see, Do you think Maven
is going to be like the Guinea pig for minute and then we
starting them pop or do you think it's it's going to be?
Quick for a minute, but but you see what what what it does is I
think because like they are acquiring so that 200 million,
where is that money going? It's going into the development
of the label. So Mavens will be able to to do
way more, whether it's marketing, whether it's the
actual creation of the music, whether it's the in our work,
Yeah, whether it's their distribution, like they're able.
To be able to optimize. Exactly.
They'll be able to really optimize their function.
So what that does for the African industry, it elevates it
in a in a sense because now there's more money circulating,
there's more money being put back into the industry and
therefore like the, the quality of the product should
theoretically improve. Go up and mavens is already
theoretically mavens is already high.
Yeah, it is. And so now, why you?
Why you stressing theoretically like theoretically like that?
Because some people might argue, and this might be where we come
to the detractors, that these guys might water down the
authenticity of African music. But anyway, before we even get
there, you know, like I'm saying, so now if more of these
acquisitions are happening in different areas in Africa, then
there's more money circulating and the music industry as a
whole should elevate. In theory, those are like just
two benefits I could think of. Any detractors, some any
negatives. I don't know.
Wait, so, so just as a positive. Also, I don't know if you
mentioned it, but then I think another thing is that we we get
now now that we see, when we see these artists moving, moving the
way they are. I think it sets an example for a
lot of the other artists here and around us in in the other
countries that may not be at that level also.
So then it just sort of pushes us a little bit closer to to
that version of success. And by and I, I said that
version of success a detractor. So there's there's two main ones
for me, and you just mentioned one.
Number one is #1 is we know what happens when an artist gets an.
So I'm treating Maven as an artist getting signed to UMG,
right. We know what happens when, as an
artist when you get signed to a major label, you're hot, you're
popping, your music is authentic.
It's you. It's.
Hey, thank you. Sam.
It sounds like you're giving me compliments.
Definitely, yeah. For sure.
Your music is authentic and it's you and it's everything.
Then you get signed to a label, and then you start having
Monday, Monday, Monday, 9:00 AM meetings on.
All right. So we really love this sound.
Let's shelve this EP. Let's figure out how we can move
better because this is the vision we have so that we can
maximize the profit, maximize the profit.
So we can do because we know that's coming.
That's one of my biggest fears, OK, is that Maven?
Now I really hope Don, Don, Jazzy and Tega shout out to
those those guys. Those guys are doing amazing
work. But I really hope that those
guys are the most strong headed guys in the world because if
they are not, they're going to get into into the UMG because
UMG acquired a major majority stake, which means they have a
majority of the stakes, right. So they're stakeouts and we've
talked about it before, what we're selling is a product.
So UMG is going to try and give, try and ensure that the product
they create is going to maximize their returns that that specific
thing usually has usually clashes with art in itself,
right. And so my fear is that they're
going to get and then we're going to start seeing Rama
turning into something that he doesn't, that we don't feel he
is as his fans, as people who have followed him, IRA star.
And all of that, if that's necessarily going to happen.
OK, why not though? With with those artists, because
they're already established, but maybe like the new artists who
are less established in mavens might get a push that's less
but. AFAM, you can't be too
established to to get eaten up by the system though.
That's the thing. Like we've seen super
established artists. They figure out a way to make it
work because I have amazing teams, but then they also just
fall into that whole pipeline of Okay.
But but you know it's not. But it's not like but you see
it's not. It's not like the team is
changing. It's not like the team at Mavens
is changing because I'm sure the team is staying the same.
So that's why I don't think there's going to be like a a
drastic change, especially for the things that have already
been established and the artists that have already been
established. I don't think it's going to
drastically change also. It's going to be a frog, A frog
In in in in a in a what, A pot full of water.
And it's just a slow. Heat.
But Sam, you have to remember they've also been working with
Universal for for a minute. But on a under different
capacity, that's what I'm saying, under different
capacity. So distribution now UMG is a
label. As far as we.
Know yeah, as far as we know the speculation, speculation
allegedly. But then UMG now is the label
and they're going to be making a lot of this.
They're going to be say have a lot a lot to say in terms of the
art. So I just really, I really hope,
I really hope it doesn't change because I feel like these guys
need to keep going and going the way move, the way they move to
continue setting that African example that we're seeing.
Sure. Yeah.
Because now if we don't then that I feel like that that might
be like a bump in this, this whole thing that we'll be doing.
Yeah, it might feel like a bump because.
What was your What was your other detractor?
Yeah, the detractor is, is just because you said you had two.
Yeah, I have two. So the the second one is more of
a slightly more political. It's just like should we keep
African owned as African owned? Because there's that, there's
that whole thing. We can't, we can't ignore it
because now maybe, maybe, maybe is 100% Africa.
Well, no, no, no, I won't say 100%.
I think they've had funding investment from other people.
But the way they've presented is very now that now that UMG has
bought it, it looks diluted. Yeah.
It, it looks like, all right, like does do we, do we always
have to sell, sell out? Yes, because people are looking
at this as sell out. Do we always have to sell to to
the West for us to be successful?
Well, it depends on your goals. Yes.
But I think it's very contextual.
It depends on your goals. These guys want to go
international. They want to go.
Why is mavens called Maven global?
You want to go global. Maybe it's like you know this,
you know, but you know this this primary schools that you'll find
in in in in shag somewhere that that has international after
their name and you know not one person from that school is
coming from anywhere outside. Yeah, but it's a manifestation
kind of thing. It's a like, yeah, So when they
set out to establish Mavens, they were like, we're going to
take this thing global and that's what they've done.
Don't just looks like the kind of guy to to to to believe in
manifestation. He.
Does yoga in the. Morning He's an yeah he does
yoga. He's an Astro guy.
He also he also I feel like he does incense and.
He also does all. Those like, you know, he drinks
all those weird concoction. He does Seymos 100% down, Seymos
every 100,000%. OK.
But anyway, so, so if we're focusing on detractors, yeah, so
I have like a case study, UMG have actually they've actually
acquired an A Kenyan label and this was AI Records which they
acquired in 2018, I want to say AI Records, yeah, so.
So if I'm reading this is a very old article from Business Daily
UM, which is just kind of saying UMG acquired A majority stake in
Kenyan record label in a deal that gives the American
multinational access to one of the largest catalogs of East
African music. So that deal was kind of built
off of the fact that they wanted to have access to our like you
know our rich history of East African music and have that in
their database and stuff like that.
I I don't think it was more about like building artists and
which is how it's a bit different from the Maven Maven
deal. So they bought 70% of AI
records, and the deal meant that UMG now has rights to archive,
digitize and begin selling East African music internationally.
The list of local music Grous on the AI stable includes Superman,
Zem, Zembe, Afro 70 and Western Jazz.
And so now basically now UMG have like a presence in our, our
industry and we've seen the likes of Southie Soul, we've
seen Nikita Caring, we've seen Ethic entertainment.
We've seen, yeah, the ones we've we know, we've also seen what's
her name, Savina, they, they signed her last year.
So we've seen a lot of like movement, right.
But here's the thing, though. Here's the thing a lot of those
artists have have expressed. Their out, out satisfaction.
Yeah, there's an out. You know, outspoken weed.
We talked. We talked exactly like we've
talked about like 2 pods ago. We talked about the whole thing
with Nikita. Caring, right?
Which I don't. I don't know her label
situation, but just based off of pure speculation, which I could
be wrong, but like I was just checking like her recent single
which she released. When did she release that
single? Two weeks, 3 weeks, 2 weeks ago,
3 weeks ago. Yeah, because you I checked the
just yeah let you down. I checked the description and it
just says 2024 Nikita Caring and in her previous releases like
you would check like the EPC list which was called the other
Side. And you see if you check that
one, it says Universal Music. So I don't know if there's still
like in the deal together. I know for a fact the Saudi soul
deal with Universal ended. Yeah, I know that is done.
Yeah. And I know Saudi soul for a fact
were also very. Those are those, Yeah.
There's more of a negative, a negative, yeah, a negative view.
Not just view. A negative storytelling, a
negative telling of of like people who've been signed,
signed to, to, to. And I have had conversations
with people close to those, like close to that whole situation
with UMG. Yeah.
And a lot of it is that a lot. There's a lot of frustration
with these artists because they they lose so much autonomy with
their music. That's exactly what I was
talking about earlier and. I really hope our guys didn't.
Lose their autonomy. Their autonomy and apparently
like there's just like like a lack of knowledge on on strategy
that's modelled for the Kenyan market.
Because I feel like because what I was being told was that like a
lot of the the strategy or just the the the plans and the roll
outs and just everything is passed through the South Africa
office 1st and and so South Africa market is very different
from our market. You know what I mean So, so, so
that so so that that's one of the the the the frustrations is
that they try and implement the the western way of doing things
or or the ways that have they've seen work like in South Africa
for example into our ecosystem and it just doesn't just leads
to a lot of dis exactly and. That that might, that might be
one of our big problems is I don't we could ask the question
right. I like are we ready to use some
of those systems and move the ways?
Because I feel like a lot of people who are moving like like
that here gear their their their careers towards probably the
Internet or like their main goal is to to be successful in the
West, not necessarily here. And that's like a huge problem
right? Because we have a lot of,
there's just a. There's a disconnect between
what works there and we see what works there.
But then we can't really implement it here because they
just we. What music consumption here is
so different, it's very different how our our market is
run by the telecommunication companies.
It's it's a whole different. It's very different.
So, so I understand how how like a S to soul and even like just
recently and Nikita will be like I I'm not, I don't advocate for
you to sign and it's really huge, right.
You're signing to UMG, you're signing, I mean.
Nikita said Verbaton that BN gave her advice.
See against it. Yeah, so it's that could be seen
as like a huge, that's what a lot of independent artists
aspire to. But then when you see the people
at the top saying no, this is not the move that also I guess I
feel like it just serves to serve some more disillusion to
to artists who. Are and it also steps.
It steps on. It steps on like the expertise
and know how of our own people. Yeah.
Because you know there's because you you'll say, you know this is
what I think. Yeah.
Is best for this release. And then like in our situation,
yeah. The whole thing will go to the
the South African office and they'll say no, no, no, maybe
not. We, we, we.
We're already. In this different this other
direction? And in this different direction,
it's. Not going to work in the.
And now for mavens like it could be a similar situation now with
the the main, you know, the main office in in in America or
whatever, you know an. Extra layer of of emails to be
approved. It's craziness, the bureaucracy.
Is ridiculous. Yeah.
Which, Which is, which is not. It's a business though.
It is a business. But but anyway, listen, I mean,
all this is speculation. Me personally, in.
In general, I'm optimistic that this is good for.
The African. Industry.
I do, I say. Me too.
Yeah, I I There's definitely detractors and those detractors
are strong, but I feel like it's a good thing.
What I want to see is I want to see now the other artists in
Mavens or just another artist in Mavens actually rise to
prominence outside of IRA and and and B.
And B and. And Rama.
And maybe it has. I mean, maybe it has some really
talented people on the journey. Drill.
We have magic. Crayon.
Yeah, like it's it's. There's, But those other artists
haven't really blown, you know what I mean?
So even whoever. Bayani.
Just to him, bro.
Bayani man. Bayani just popped.
What happened? He was.
He was on A roll.
After Tata, Tata, nothing's happening with Bayani I.
Feel like once, once we we need to get calm down.
I mean to get Serena and calm down.
I feel like everyone else needs. And that's the nature of labels,
bro. It's so sad.
It's sad. It's sad what happens.
I wish, I wish I could get it right, but that is the nature of
what happens anyway. Just just I personally like I I
really like it. I enjoy.
I'm not so much. I was not so excited at the fact
that they've been acquired by a big label or anything, but more
of maybe maybe we can see a little bit of inch, inch because
through Maven now I feel like a lot more of the Nigerian maybe
the dominoes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So maybe the different Nigerian. What do you call it labels.
I know what's this guy Olamide has one that's really that's
doing well. A few of them are doing well.
And then through that we there's a pickup and we can see, OK,
these guys are doing this even though we're not there.
We're not signed. Do I think no like about to say
something mischievous. Yeah.
So, so even we, we begin to like a pickup and like an imitation.
So even though we are not there yet, there's still some sort of
like an imitation and then that that could flow throughout
Africa, I'm sure especially the biggest markets, Kenya, South
Africa and all that. So no one ever talks about about
Northern African music. Why we always mentioned Kenya
South? Africa.
They do, they do, but they usually, they usually group it
together with Middle Eastern music.
So they call that region the Middle East and North African
region, the Mana region, Africa. And so no, trust me, it's
thriving, it's thriving. There's even like a there's a
whole, there's a whole different streaming platform that the I
can't remember what it's called, I can't remember it off the top
of my head, but there's a whole different Spotify like thing for
MENA music. I find that's so funny.
Big the The thing is we we just we don't see it because we're
not really into. Interacting comedian music.
So it's not in our world, but like it's it's thriving.
But anyway, that was good. That was that was a good
conversation. Shout out to Don Jazzy and Tega
and everybody in that doing. Good things over there.
Setting the example, that's huge.
That's huge news for me. And we can definitely see that
music too. We just need to work hard
enough. Work hard, Play hard, Sam.
New music. What were you listening to do?
Do do, do do do do do do do do. New music.
All right. Don't let people drum dress.
Matata released some music. Matata is always, always an
interesting, interesting drop. There is a song called.
Means no. GATA just shout out to them man.
This guys, they their videos are always like on point.
Like that's one thing I've heard from a lot of people like
they'll be doing their videos as well.
So there is a song called Gata PPP Poo Poo Poo in parentheses.
So that was cool. That was really cool.
Produced by Jagged Day on the Beach.
So that was fire. Shout out to Jaggedy.
Jaggedy is. Fine, yeah, of course the Bien
released 2 songs this or was on. One, you're addicted to one of
them. Yes and no.
So the one Alpham is talking about is so-called addicted by
an artist called Small God. Bien is on there and Nico and
Vince on there who are no, I think they're Norwegian duo.
They were really huge back in the day.
They they kind of went silent, but it's cool to send them back
on. Then he also raised the song
with Ricky. Tyler called another episode.
So that was fire. The beats to that was fire.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Boutros and quiz sticking off
fire. No.
Oh, it's rubbing off on me. Away from me, it's rubbing off.
On me? Oh no.
But I said, Did you see how did you clock how?
I tried to say it quickly. Before you on the segue on the
podcast No, no, no, no, no let on.
The segue king, man. That's.
Debatable. So on the segue server on the
segue stunner. Oh, it's the corny man.
That's the corniest thing I've had.
Shout out to you Boutros and quiz released a song called
Fire. That was.
I found it slacking. I thought I was going to say
that was fire. Oh shit, that was fire.
Yeah, there you go. There you go.
Newfound quiz is called Like Reese.
Like me. Newfound Stays Releasing music.
That's dope. Who else?
Who else released music in this
country? Timmy T.
That Did you listen to? Oh yeah, that.
Was interesting. I did not expect him to sound
like that, although I didn't know what I expected him to
sound like. But it was.
It was such an interesting good listen to that.
It was interesting. You sound like you wanted to
plug someone. No, I was just going to say, did
you listen to Vulai by gouache and master VK?
Oh, live live vulai. I like live vu vulai.
I liked it. I actually liked it.
Although towards the end they were just messing around.
Towards the end I felt like he was just messing around and he
was just having fun. But I like the hook.
It's fine. There was also get it and go by
Blocker Beats, Swahili, Pappy and Jovi Joe.
I also listened. Yeah, I know.
I listened to Majirani by Groovy Josh Allah to Groovy Josh's
Fire. Oh, I also want to give a
special shout out to Andea Sande.
She released her like I think this is like the first song
she's like actually released like you know, officially.
So she released a song called Replay.
I believe FK Beats produced on it and a few other people, but
shout out to them also the flip at the end was really fire.
And then there was also every Dakika Every minute Counts by
Soundcraft run Scooby, which is really, really good.
Oh, and then there was the Tabasco 2 which was King Kaka.
Yeah, so that was yeah, that was just straight bars.
King Kaka STL Shakina Karen Valerie Madoni.
I'm picking sides. Valerie Madoni was was this was
she smoked everything. Although I do want to say St.
LS intro to her verse was insane because she started in Kikuyu
and that part was so hard. Like the way she did it was
insane. So shout out to STL for that
that like I was like, yo, she's really spitting right now Eddie.
But yeah, Valerie Madoni for me was like the best of that song.
What else did I listen? To rank rank people inside that
cipher. Ciphers.
Right, ciphers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We should, we should, we should be doing.
That. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, just. Wait, there's one more.
There's one more. One more, one more, one more.
Let me see. There was oh Mood by Melina
Gold. Shout out to Melina Gold.
She's just getting started. She's just getting started and
I'm trying to see there's one more song I was fucking with,
OK? I guess that's all I had.
Just so so one down. He's a DJ.
He is a song called history. That was cool.
Is that I'm a piano that chill. I'm a piano sound.
Fuzak also released a song called Aria Araya.
Aria, that's interesting. He's also a DJ.
He's they do good work at. They have an establishment that
has been really helping the the EDM community.
Yeah, but I guess the song that we'll play this.
Oh wait, wait, wait. Also shout out Kili, Hippy and
oh fam no no no boy Black. Kili Hippy and and and the Swami
The Swami so last time Kili Hippy was was with was with boy
Black but now he's he's he's just with the Swami 22 Jump St.
that's yeah those guys it's just it's rap music bro.
I love it. I love it.
I was saying so we're picking, of course, when we we think like
the song is good, so it's good to be played.
But this is our public apology too.
To TZ Tanzania, we are sorry. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sorry, man. Guys, listen.
Songs to Trash Listen, listen, we're hitting on you.
Bro, we love you guys, man. We love we love Tanzanians.
We do say Tanzanians or Tanzanians.
I say Tanzania. Emphasis on the.
A Missy Tanzanians. Anyway, shout out to your man.
Listen. The Bobby Schmatte song is like
on 2 point something million. That doesn't mean.
Anything to me at all doesn't mean anyway, you can't do that.
You can't say woo like that. Stop sing.
Stop bringing. This is an apology.
Sound Sorry, Sorry. Yeah, so.
So we're playing La La la by Bruce Africa, featuring Mordecai
Dex. Mordecai Dex is a brilliant
vocalist from Kenya here. So we wanted to feature feature
TZ and and Kenya were playing it because Monica is on it and and
it's dope. But that's our public apology to
Tanzania. Here is La La la by Bruce Africa
and Mordecai Dex. I be there for you, my lover.
Would you be there for me and my lover always?
On now give up in. Cuckoo and make some money for
you betting me, I don't care. That was La La La by Bruce
Africa and Mordecai Dex as a fire joint.
Fire, fire, Fire Song. Did you hear how amazing that
song was? That song was like fire.
Like, really fire. Yeah, man.
Yes, Sir. That that is today's episode.
This was our Trent Alexander Arnold episode.
Does that mean because it's #66? Come on, keep up.
Sam. But who's that?
That's what I'm asking. Is he a footballer?
What? Oh, OK, he plays for Liverpool.
Sam, come on. Oh, I knew it.
I knew that I'm so I'm so behind on football.
I'm so back. I need to get.
I need to get myself back back back up.
Back up to game. Really do.
I'm so all right don't lean into that really you don't need to
lean into it as much. Yeah.
So that was 66, man. Today was just a maybe in
conversation. But I think it's a really good
one to have. Maybe.
This is this also took me down. And I won't, I won't.
I won't spend too much time with this, but this took me down a
rabbit rabbit trail of like Kenyan labels.
So I'm just now super interested in in how they started and what
has happened to them. So I'm just going to do a lot of
that research, hopefully. Like it's it's it it teaches me
a lot and like calling up people who have been part of this
because I have some of those connections.
I just, I just want to know, like, I just have that hunger to
know, OK, why do we have Kenyan labels who have started and gone
down inside? And of course there's some that
are really doing well, obviously, but it just tends to
be the sentiment of a lot of people that Kenyan labels just
don't, then they don't do as well as people want them to.
So anyway, that this, this whole Maybe thing has has sent me, has
sent me on a journey and I will be informing you guys of where I
am, if you care at all. If you don't let me know on
socials, I definitely will not tell you anything.
Yo, and listen, if you're listening to this and you're in
the music industry, I said this last week, the three C's man.
Always remember the three C's confidence, consistency and
craft. And with that Sam.
That was episode 666 of the 30% Podcast and it's always a
pleasure recording with you bro. And you know, it's.
Always. You know, that just comes up.
I I know you mean it, but it just comes off as passive
aggressive to me. I don't know.
I don't know why. It's a pleasure.
There's been a it's almost like you're being sarcastic.
Should I believe you? Your trauma dumping, right?
Should be like, what has happened?
Trauma dumping, like, why? Yeah, because what has happened
in your life. For you to think that I'm being
passive aggressive, you must have gone through some stuff.
Anyway, we. We'll unpack that in episode 60.
7 Unpacking going on. Yeah man.
Yeah, man, it's it's it's great play, KE.
Music. But yeah, guys, yeah, play KE.
Music play KE. And we shall catch you guys next
week on 667.