Last, last thing, last thing. That's that's an extra, very
important question, Sam. I spice a Lotto.
Whose side are you on? Yo, what's up?
And welcome to episode 63 of the 30% Podcast.
I go by Alpha Mefina and I go by my amazing Co host.
So, uh huh, I go away, Sam. He goes by Sam and you can catch
us at the 30% Pod on Insta, on X, on Threads, on Tiktok, and on
LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast,
or you can stream it on YouTube, on Spotify, on Apple Podcast, on
Google Podcast, and on Anchor Podcast.
Sam, what's up? What's going oh and have had the
most interesting day. The most the most interesting
day. Man woke up in the morning
morning morning was school. I I was part of the judicial
system today. It was interesting seeing how
things happen like your lawyers. I I give props to lawyers man.
They have like certain speak they have to speak like they
have certain ways they talk and and instead of saying like I
want to ask for something that say like I pray for for a I'm
just like why why are you guys talking like this?
But that was cool. It was a unique, interesting
experience I've never been to before my laptop crashed.
That was fun and I learnt that I have to pay a lot of money for
it. So that's always.
That's always great when you realize that you have to pay
money for something you didn't have to, you didn't plan for.
Yeah, that you weren't planning for.
Yeah, and then I sent bro. I sent money.
And this I don't know. Has it ever happened to you?
I sent money to the wrong person.
And not a small amount of money too, OK?
It was a substance. An amount to make your heart
drop. Has that ever happened?
Actually, it hasn't happened. It hasn't happened to me.
Alpham, you're not so lucky. Alpham, you're not.
You're not Kenyan at all, If you.
It hasn't happened. It genuinely hasn't happened to
me. Hey yo, listen, shout out to I'm
not going to say his name. Shout out to Mr. Joseph.
Let's just put it out. Shout out to Mr. Joseph.
Because Mr. Joseph, First off, he calmed me down.
He was like, bro, relax, I'm not going to do anything with your
money. But you see, The funny thing is,
I've been told that before and then I've been blocked.
And then they and. Then they just Skype my money.
So shout out to Mr. Joseph, man, he he held me down, man.
Like he said, he said bro, because it was imagine just
learning that you have to pay a lot of money for something and
then you go and get money to give to the people and then it's
all gone. So yeah, but that was cool and
then I rushed it's, I mean it's been interesting.
The interesting week. Yeah, it was an interesting
week. We'll get into why I feel like
the week was interesting. The studio session I found was
super fun. But we'll get into that as part
of your week. So how was yours, man?
My week was OK if you are part of the judicial process.
Today I was part of the Is it legislative?
No. The immigrative?
Immigrative. What's?
What's it called? I don't know.
Yeah. Anyway, all I know is doing
government things is just so long.
It's so long. But anyway.
It's the absolute worst. It's the absolute worst.
It's usually just so long, but aside from that, I'm good.
I'm had an interesting week. Very interesting because we were
on TV, bro. On TV, man.
I forgot about that. We were on.
TV man KVC had us on the Y. 24 No No Y 25425.
Four. Look at me.
Look what I'm doing. See.
Look, look. Look what I'm doing.
Y254 my 5. Sorry.
But yeah, yeah, shout out to shout out to the guys at Y254
for having us on that. Was that?
Was an interesting experience. It was, yeah, never been on.
TV before it was same. Never been on TV before And I
must say it was not. It was it was not bad.
So shout out to Stephanie, an amazing host I I think.
Struggle to pronounce our names, but shout out to her, yeah.
That's everyone your last name and and my all my names.
Are all your names? Yeah, we found out that AFAM is
first name AFAM second name EFUNA which.
Is that's what we found out. We definitely found out My first
name is split into two. Yeah, but it was good.
It was a good conversation. We talked to the the the main
point was what's next for the Kenyan industry.
So Sam and AFAM gave their best, their best guess, their best
informed guess on what's next. So it was really good and it's
really good. And you guys can still find the
interview up. It's up on YouTube at the Y254
channel, so all you need to type is Y254 and you will see our
lovely faces. Our lovely faces.
I was wearing all black. I was, I was, I was doing too
much in terms of the dressing. Next time I'm just, I'm going to
take it easy, man. I was doing too.
Much going to be more colourful but yeah had the had the
interview and then after that I I had a studio session with with
cookies. So that was fun.
And yeah man that's essentially how my my yeah, that's how my
week panned out you know made a bunch of music as usual Yeah
that was dope. That's kind of how.
I passed, I passed by the studio and it ended in, ended in after,
sorry, enemy freestyle. I don't want to, I don't want to
know freestyle in the school, the freestyle.
In part of school, you were singing all the wrestling theme
songs word for word. Paint me like this.
Don't paint me like this, bro. You and Ronald shout out to
Ronald to shout out Ronald, but you guys are going.
Crazy. These guys are even talking
about there was an alternate version.
I'm like, fine, what are you guys talking about?
It was it was crazy. I was.
I had a great time, man, watching.
Was making me look like the geek that I actually AM.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
But yeah, Sam, before we even start, I have something fun for
you. Kind.
Of fun. I want to give you in in the in
the in, in the spirit of the Super Bowl having happened, me
and Sam being Nigerian, we're not going to talk about the
other, you know, things that happens.
Oh, Nigeria. Nigeria, my country.
Oh gosh. Moving past that really fast,
really quickly. So in light of the Super Bowl I
want to give you, let's give. South Africa.
Their props. Let's give them a closer round
of applause, man. All right, never mind.
That was just me clapping. South Africa.
No, no, I was also clapping. No, I was.
I thought we sold. Anyway, listen.
Listen, let's go. Shout out to everybody and Ivory
Coast and just the whole Afghan. Moving along.
Moving to do yeah, I want to give you 3 fun facts about
Asher. Are you ready?
Oh gosh, this is not where I thought this was going.
But all right, I don't know if I want to learn about Asher.
Let's go. First of all, I cannot.
I cannot guarantee that these facts are 100% facts, but they
do come from our website calledfacts.net.
So. That definitely makes it true.
Oh, you know, fact.net. They always report the.
Truth. Here's one.
They're beacon of truth in our society for.
Sure it's not. Here's one that I'm reading.
Here's one that I'm So here's one that I'm reading that
contrary to popular belief, Asha's surname is actually
Terry. Raymond is his middle name,
which he adopted as his stage. Name Asha Terry doesn't really
have the ring to it, does it? It it really doesn't, it doesn't
have the same ring as Asha Raymond.
Asha. Raymond.
Terry. OK.
Oh gosh, are we hitting another man's name?
Let's see, Let's see. There are a bunch of.
There are a bunch of.
There are a bunch of them here. And some of them are very mid.
Let's see, let's see, let's see, let's see.
Asha has a residency in Las Vegas.
I mean, we know. We know that famously because of
the. Yeah, didn't you?
Didn't the stories. Yeah, I think, I don't know if
it's, I think it ended, but like, so he can't pick it up
after the Super. He can, he can, he probably
will. But yeah, I think that ended.
Oh look at this one. Asha is considered a sex symbol.
Thank you fox.net for pointing that out.
Why? Why did you pick that one?
That's the question. Why is that the one you went to?
You said three. Now you added an extra random
one in there, and that was the extra random one.
OK. I'm adding an extra.
I'm adding a last one. I'm not.
I'm adding a last one. Asha is potentially contributing
to the, to the, to the downpours of two relationships.
So, you know, famously, like he did the whole thing, his routine
with Kiki Palmer and that whole thing became controversial.
And you know, Gafla bin Vu, Kiki Palmer and her, her ex aren't
together. And then now there's the whole
thing. He, the routine he had, this is
stunning, very dull. And everybody's talking about it
and everyone is saying like if there were Swiss beats, they
would be heated. So listen, Usher.
Fun facts if you're listening to this.
I love your music anyway. You can't cop, please.
After turning into Nairobi gossip club here, you can't.
Cop, please bro, you can't. What?
It's the talk of the town, the. Talk of the town, he says.
Let's continue. Do you think people care that
the what are they called the the Kansas Chiefs war?
How about you talk about about something more interesting?
Did you watch the performance? Talking about his love life
Actually's performance. I saw, I just saw snippets.
I saw snippets. What do you think of it?
Didn't watch the full. It's been like mixed, mixed,
mixed reactions, I think. Did you?
If you watched it like, please give us no.
Because I didn't watch it, but then I saw, I saw I've seen some
of the songs, like some of the performances.
He was, he was. I mean it was it was, it was.
It's one of the better ones that we've seen.
But then there are some notes that were being missed.
I know, I know what is mixed. I know what this mixed reviews
over is his album. I hear the album wasn't hitting
like you should have. Yeah, the album.
The album wasn't, it wasn't OK. It wasn't what people were
expecting. But people are saying that they
have to warm, warm, warm up to it.
A lot of people actually. It's, it's, it's it's almost
like he's trying to appease the younger audience, but he has a
very classic sound. So like that's creating like a
weird thing thing. And he's been trying to do that
for the past couple of albums. I think the last one also he
tried to like do like the more younger youthful Bob, but he's
still an old. So anyway, shout out to Usher,
man. I'm sure the Super Bowl thing
was a huge thing, the preparation that has to go into
that. My goodness.
What do you mean? It's months.
I'm guessing it's months and months and months and months of
the routine and doing the same thing and it must just be
tiring. Very tiring.
Yeah. So Sam, Anyway, yeah, so I think
Asha, let me see, let me see here, let me see here.
Actually, I was trying to see who Asha is currently signed to,
and I think he is affiliated with.
Oh, he's one of the Gamma people.
Shout out to the people who who are messing with Gamma, but I
think previously he's been affiliated with RCA and stuff
like that. But Speaking of labels and
artists being in labels, there was some really dope or well,
not dope but interesting news that came out this week.
So did you have a chance? Well, I didn't really watch the
whole snippet, but there was, AI mean the whole interview.
But there was a snippet that kind of piqued my curiosity.
It was Nikita Kerring kind of talking about her situation, her
label situation, and kind of how that's affected her in the past
year. Did you have a chance to see
that? I did not.
No, unfortunately I will. You wait, no, you did not see
the whole interview. But you saw the clip, came
across, came across, came across.
OK. OK.
Yeah, it was, yes. Interesting, interesting
insight. It was.
It was an interesting insect and
I appreciate Nikita for sharing. So guys, we're going to play the
clip right here and then we'll come back and talk about what we
just listened to. When I tell you like.
Ready for the tea? Feel thy cup.
The first thing I'll say, even if I say when I was, when
someone warns you about something, just just listen,
Bien, about two years ago, probably doesn't even remember,
he told me. Nikita, just stay independent.
Just trust me, Nikita, just stay independent.
Then I got this opportunity that I knew was life changing and and
had a team. And I was like, my team is going
to go through all these documents and seal it from start
to end. But I was told something you
can't put everything in a contract, doesn't matter.
There's always a loophole. There's always something.
You can't put everything in a contract.
And that's how my year went. Complete depression, you know,
knowing that a decision you made, thinking that you're big
enough, smart enough to make it, you made it and and it was a
wrong choice and and things could go wrong and they could go
down and there's no one else to blame and there's no one else
who can help you. My mum did everything she could,
my manager did everything they could, yeah and and then my
friends were not there. No one could understand.
So yeah, that's it. And I'm not that person to go
online and start venting. It was my problem.
I made a choice when I was sober enough to make it report.
You saw. Oh damn.
Yeah, that was make jokes. So what you've heard is Nikita
on I forgot to mention on the Mic Check podcast.
Shout out to the people at the Mic Check Podcast Check.
They always have very interesting podcasts.
And they doctor very interesting so shout out to them always yeah
are giving us good content to listen to great content.
So the so so the so the gist is that she's kind of been Mia
because of just like her situation on the label, bro.
She kind of you know used like a word like you know almost like
being depressed ETC. And and you know wondering where
has Nikita been. And so one thing that resonated
with me is how she said that BN kind of a while ago gave her
some advice and and and BN was like, yo, don't just stay
independent if you can. Don't sign to one of these
labels. And she said she wishes that you
know when somebody tells you something you should listen and
stuff like that. And I mean, my heart kind of
goes out to Nikita because I brah, you know, you know how
labels can be and how, you know, there are some horror stories
with stories labeled. For sure, For sure, For sure.
Yeah. Yeah.
With the whole Nikita thing. I mean it's it's interesting.
And I've I've, I've had this question myself because she
dropped X. When did she drop X?
She dropped X and then she went. Silent like 21?
Yeah, that was like. 22 She dropped X and then she went
silent for like a couple of months and then she came out and
and I guess put out a new EP. So I was that's not usually how
it goes. Usually, like when you have a
hot single, you try and stay on, follow it up.
Yeah, you stay on people like that.
But then she just went silent. So I guess this is part of what
I was playing, but. There was the album, though.
There was there was the album, right?
No. Yeah, yeah, well yeah that's one
thing but that also in the in terms of like like because from
there she got you know she got like the looks she got she was
on with Nadeska she was she like she got like really big looks
and then she all she she almost just vanished.
From side of me. And but if and if a label is
like working you and all that business, they're going to keep
you in front of everyone's faces.
So that's kind of what I mean. Like she just kind of it.
Almost like she kind of disappeared.
We didn't. Feel like we didn't feel like
her presence was being like like consciously pushed in front of
us, which is what labels usually do.
OK, so I mean seeing, seeing Nikita Kering's sentiments about
the high experience at the label that she's signed to.
And again, just want to say listen, thank you to Nikita for
sharing her experiences. Sam, I wanted to ask the
question in 2020, four 2024 years after Jesus died, what is
the pro? Oh what are the pros and cons?
D it is, yeah. What are the pros and cons to
sign? Was labeled today.
Shout out to Jesus man, because because bro Sam like literally
like a lot of people have that sentiment that staying
independent is actually beneficial.
And I wanted to ask you bro, maybe we should come up with a
pros. And you know what I think?
I honestly think, I think it's it's, it's, it's, it's.
I think that too, because there's a lot of, there's a lot
of people who still feel like being signed to a label.
Is it like, oh, I just want to get signed.
I just want to get signed. And then of course now, and
there's there's obviously a movement within the artist's
artist world where people are more like no independence.
Independence is what's sort of the the move.
Is what's popping. Yeah.
OK. So Sam, pros and cons, I can say
one, I can say one we can, we can, we can go back-to-back,
back-to-back. So one of them, and this is
very. Obvious to bring Drake.
Finances always, always, bro. Anyway, finances listen.
It's been a big it's been a it's been a big week for Drake news.
Finances, finances, finances, finances, finances.
OK, yeah, Finances, bro. Obviously you're at a label.
You have access to a far bigger budget than you would if a label
is a big bank by yourself. Is what it is it?
Is really a bank. It's a big bank.
So that gives you loans. Yeah, so.
Exactly. Oh, yeah.
Gives you loans. So, I mean, yeah, so they have a
lot of money and then they allocate, they have the grace to
give you or rather they have the, what do you call it, It's
their job. It's their job to give you the
money to be able to facilitate your career in many different
ways. Once they sign you, I suppose.
Yeah, yeah, once. So there there's that there's an
interest in order to provide you with finances so they can get
the finances back. So that's like one of the huge,
or rather one it's one of the. That's the business model,
right. I'm saying that's essentially
yes, yes, yes. Yes, it's a business model.
It's, it's it's it's artistic loans is what it is.
It's they're giving you loan for Arch and then you have to give
them the money back and you have to make more in it.
So that's that's the common misconception.
They're not just giving you an advance and then you're just
chilling, like you're going to have to give them that money
back. So you better make good news.
Yeah. OK.
So that's one. What else is what is a pro?
So, so do you think? Labels are established, right?
And which means that they'll have better connections, they'll
have a bigger reach, they'll have more networks, they'll have
stuff like that. They'll have more bargaining
part, like leverage. They'll have, yeah.
More access to to, to different things, more access to other
labels, access to artists that have access to the technical
side with studios A and Rs. Access to all of this stuff,
playlist curators, the industry, access to Spotify, access to
everyone. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they have.
Access to our our data. Yes, they do.
They do. So that's that's like and that's
that's really a huge one and that's often that's what stops
or because as a as an independent artist you're just
by yourself. You don't.
You can't call the the vice president of of Sony Music to
get whoever to jump on your track.
You know, just. Rope and console can you just
Sorry I. Was yeah.
So. So hey.
Lucien Grange, man. Just please bro, put me on.
Your Lucien Grange is just. His name is, so his name is.
Just like it's such a. It's such a villainy name, but
it's so cool. Lucian Green, but.
It's. So villainy, actually, now that
you pointed out Lucian Green, he's just there in his office
saying. Yeah, I feel like he needs.
I feel like he needs a scar in Botox.
Bro, he does. He needs a scar and he needs to
walk with a cane. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he does.
Anyway, So, yeah, so back to the topic at hand.
So bigger, bigger reach, bigger label.
I mean bigger access to to what you need as an artist to be more
out there I guess is is what we're trying to say.
OK. So another.
So for me, I would say another pro to being in a label is that
you just have access to far better resources than the
average artist. Yeah, for sure.
Because like you have access to top tier producers, top tier
engineers, Yeah, top tier like you can go to a good studio
because it's paid for. Although it's that money is
coming from your advanced. Well, yeah, you're paying for
it. You're paying for it.
But then. You're paying for it, but still
the money is kind of there. So so anyway like you have
access to like you have access to like like you want to shoot
videos like they have the networks with all these.
To call the best guys they can talk to.
Like hard to work, like just your whole rollout would look
way more meticulous because like everything the quality should be
higher because of just like the resources that you know, a label
is able to put together. And I think that's that's
actually a valid reason to unassign to a label, because you
just look cleaner. Yeah, for sure.
The output just looks way way better because of the better
resources that you have access to.
Definitely and and and as as as a as an extension some of these
people have been they're usually access people who have been
doing things like this like established.
So they know like this person is going to deliver and so you,
you, you, you tend to get to that professionalism that comes
along with with that access. Not that it's not seen in
independent, but then if a label sends an e-mail, it's it's
better than Sam waking up in the morning and sending it from his
Gmail. Like, if you see a UMG e-mail
and you see a Sam Gmail, you probably take the UMG one more
seriously than just me. The UMG one.
Yeah. So, but, so another thing would
be so like with the first one started labels the banks and
they need to get their money back.
So they are very efficient and they, they do collection and
they do distribution and collection very well.
OK. So they're very well.
They're very material because they're not going to allow one
shilling to, they're not going to let it go like that.
OK. So, yeah, so just to say there's
better distribution, they have, the labels are in, of course, we
know the labels are in bed with Tidal, they're embed with
Spotify, they're embed with Apple Music, they're embed with
all of these people. So they are able in terms of
their distribution, they're able to and all the other ones, it's
not just this big BIG45 whatever, they're they're able
to facilitate and and handle that because they know they've
done their research and they have relationships with this
distribution channels. And so it also makes the
collection better and they have again they're also linked to the
collection, what do you call them organization boards,
whatever they are and and and they tend the labels have
priority. I I think that's a fact.
They have priority when it comes to collection of royalties and
distribution and all that stuff, right.
A label versus an independent, and not just an independent, but
then maybe even an independent label like a small, just DIY
label would not have as much power in terms of distribution
and collection as as a Sony or RCA or whatever.
Yeah. Or one of their SUBSID
subsidiaries. Yeah, OK.
So I would say another pro of being in a label, is this just
dedicated departments for shipped?
Yeah, for example, like a label will have a dedicated legal
department for. Example, right?
And that's super important. Yeah, all the, Yeah, that'll
just handle all the contractual situations that a label is bound
to encounter. Yeah, it's going to have a
dedicated A&R department. It's going to have a dedicated
publicity and marketing department.
It's going to have a dedicated promotions department, dedicated
publishing, even merchandising. There's a dedicated department
that's just does that solely for merchandising, touring and and
everything. Like they they may have a
department that handles touring and all that type of stuff,
doing shows and and performances and everything.
So like, there's just dedicated departments for everything and
that that kind of like eases the load on the artist because as an
independent you have to be. Yeah, as an independent you have
to be all. Of those they won't allow you
by. Yourself.
They won't allow you to make so many decisions anyway.
But yeah you you you tend to, you tend you have you have
people you can bounce things off and of course these are people
who have done these things for a long time.
So there's better you have more knowledge and and just it's it's
better for you. So Speaking of marketing, right.
So marketing is a huge one. Marketing is like one of the
major ones. We recently we've been seeing I
Spice everywhere. Like she was standing next to
Taylor Swift. Bro, she is.
She has been put in front of. Wearing, wearing, wearing opium
chain. Do you know what opium is?
I isn't, Isn't it what has what has killed a lot of people?
It is, but also Opium is playable.
Carty is label carry. On Wow.
OK, well, yeah, that's that's marketing still.
I'm sure there's a reason for that.
So anyway, that's to say like there's people who are that
their job in terms of of of like what they're supposed to do is
is figure out how to get Ice Spice in front of everyone.
Sam, like, I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you think that
I Spice is just with Taylor Swift of the strength of them
being friends, yes, them being friends is part of it.
But let me tell you, it's also a Look, this is something that
somebody sat down in and had a meeting about and said it.
Wouldn't it be great if I Spice was with Taylor?
Swift in this thing and let's. Make it happen true.
You know what I mean? Yeah.
And they're probably preparing for her for whatever project
she's planning to drop or whatever single she's planning
to drop. Like it's all works and the
teams behind that and it's marketing.
So marketing is like one of that can get you out as an artist,
that can get you an artist, a band, a producer, whatever it
is, right? But we say artists to encompass
all of it. Yeah, I'm sorry.
I keep on. Interrupting you.
But like do you know when I found out when I found out that
like even in like when you see artists like at games or like
you see them Oh, this artist was at the front row.
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, it's all, it's all that's
part of the marketing budget, not, not not to bring.
Up Taylor Swift again. But a whole relationship with
Travis Kelsey is that might be marketing.
That's. That's marketing.
That's marketing.
Right there. Yeah so so that's that's it's
really important part of of an artist's because without
marketing you can't you can't put your product out there, you
can't put yourself out there right.
So it's really important and labels have done this time and
time they hire the best of the best of the best of the best to
do this. So it's that's that's a big a
big a big plus when it comes to signing with the leader and so I
guess just. In to encompass everything.
It's just more professional. Yeah.
There's just more professional support.
It's people who have done this thing for years, have created
like systems, have seen what works and what doesn't work.
So it's just very professional and very, very like meticulous,
right? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, you have that.
You have that support. You have.
You have, you have you have a let's say you have everything
you need to be able to succeed as an artist.
Yeah. Yeah that that's that's OK and
and many others. These are not the only ones
there are there are others that that are hidden in there.
But then these are like major categories.
So some. Cons What are like some cons of
being signed to a label? Oh boy.
In 2020. 4 Three 60s I'll start. Three 60s are cons.
OK. Yeah, start.
Oh, OK, we can start. With that, we can start with
that. How, what?
How would you articulate that? Oh no, man, I.
I don't know where it is. OK you know what Let's we'll
we'll get into that. You you start.
You go. OK, Sir you go ahead as I.
OK. So I think.
I think I. Think the Major.
Like one major thing is there's just so many more stakeholders
with the music or involved in the music.
Everyone And the Mama label. Yeah.
Like so. So essentially what that means
is you have less ownership of your music.
Yeah. Because your music of the.
The label is going to take a percentage.
Yeah, the like everybody's going to be taking percentages here,
right, left and centre. That's not necessarily a bad
thing. Because listen, if a label is
able to scale your music to the level where even you making 10%
off of your music is you making a ton of money, then maybe that
that makes a little bit sense for you.
But all I'm saying is yeah, like your your, the percentage of
what you are making is going to be significant essentially.
Yeah, so, so. I mean in the pros we mentioned
like like dedicated departments and teams like these guys have
to get paid and you your, your, your art is the product.
So you're the product. Yeah, you.
Are the product, so you're. Not you're not just going to be
signed to a label and say, OK, I'm taking everything for
myself. No, some of the people who are
helping out nature, that's just the nature of how it is.
And we've seen, we've seen, we've seen like big artists,
like massive artists, Kanye and them like with leaked contracts
and he owned his, he's telling us that he has what, 10% or even
less than than? And we are thinking because you
as an artist, you as an artist of his stature, he should be at
least having like a lot of money.
Now that's not more ownership. Nope.
Nope, even.
The the whole. Rumor about bun, but Bunny also
being in like a 9010 type of thing and you're like Bad Bunny.
But listen, Bad Bunny does. His numbers are ridiculous.
Yeah, yeah, his numbers. Are ridiculous, but still I.
Mean. He'd rather another.
Yeah. So.
Another con would be creative control.
So you don't have as much you, you just don't have as much.
Again, because you're a product, you're you're a product and and
the labels job is the the labels signed you to be able to
maximize your, maximize your, your art, maximize your so that
they can make the hey, we don't like it, but it's a fact.
Whenever you get signed to a label, it's not no longer a
creative game it's now a money game.
So they're going to yeah they're going to make whatever decisions
they feel is best. This is the single you should
start. Your project with yeah by 4
exactly. And this is when you're going to
release it and this is how it's going to sound or no, I know you
really liked that writer on it and everything like that, but we
don't want that. This is what we're trying to
achieve with this single. So we're going to go with this
writer and this producer and we're going to mix it in this
way and this will be the album art and your whole idea and
conception of of whatever you're planning to do is thrown out the
window, but you can't do anything about it because your
name is at the dotted line. So that's that's a really big
one. And that's one of the ones that
artists really fight with the most is creative control,
because creativity, creativity is art, right.
And so when that that is taken away from them, it's like, OK,
so exactly what am I doing here? Yeah.
And and, and so there's a point that actually goes hand in hand
that it's slightly different though.
So I feel like artists have a lack of autonomy to do what they
please with their music. So this differs with creative
control in the sense that OK, like for example, you see what
happened with UMG recently. They decided because of the
talks that they've been, that broke down with with them and
Tiktok, they decided to pull down their music.
But you see, this is not a decision that each and every ex
can send. An e-mail and say I don't want
to be part of this. Can you make my music up?
Nah. Sorry bro.
So now you you. So now you lose control over
over your music in that sense, because I'm sure there's a ton
of UMG artists who would love their music to still be on
Tiktok, if not all. But it's not, yeah.
So you kind of lose a little bit of control over the product
itself because. UNG has such a.
Huge stake over the major label will have such a huge stake in
you do I just come to think. About you, you lose control
over, you lose, you just lose control.
Generally. You lose control over your own
art and you lose control over like even the business decisions
that you're making that you need to make like there's just.
So that's I guess that's it. So, so with the, with the, with
the, and this is the next point, So with the, with, with major
labels, right Again, and I don't want to keep saying this, but
then it's a money game. So they're going to maximize
profits is what they're here to do.
Which would mean unfortunately that you as an artist if you are
not giving them what they need in terms of returns compared to
what they signed you for, then your project is going to be
shelved. Your whole ideas.
And if they're going to be shelved, there's not much they
won't invest as much in you as as as you would want them to
because it's just not it's just not what they're they're they're
here to match my profits. So things like artist
development, things like spending spending years to to
curate the perfect album. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
it's it's it's more about, OK, what do we need?
How what do we need to be able to maximize our profits,
maximize this stuff everything, even reach marketing.
It's all it's all geared to be able to get their money back.
They both are big a big banks and they need their money back.
So they're not going to play games with with oh and cuddle
you as an artist that Oh no. OK let's just take some more
time and figure out what you want to do.
Maybe take a few years off go to the Bahamas.
Nah, it's over for you. You're on the shelf.
That's it done. So that's that's that's
terrible. And and and and.
Usually that's what is demoralizing.
But yeah, listen and and with that I guess we also have to
mention bad contracts because a lot of these labels, man,
they'll they'll have sneaky language within their contracts.
Have you read? Have you read have?
You read some contracts. Have you seen how they try and
disguise the simplest of things in like something you can say in
two sentences has 5 pages of just wording.
Legal Mumbo jumbo is what it is and they do it on purpose and.
And it's just all, it's just all like it's slimy honestly.
So like we we've seen like like Sam was mentioning at the top of
the con segment, like you look at 360 contracts where the
artist is where everything that the artist is involved with,
whether the artist decides to start a brand that's outside the
music, whatever the label is going to take a percentage.
Oh, no. Yeah.
That's because they. Feel because the label because
the label. Will feel like, you know,
because we have given you this massive opportunity.
We put you on this huge pedestal.
We've given you this massive reach.
We have owners of all the things that you're invested in.
And so such things are only beneficial to the artists who
make tons of money. But if you're a small artist and
you're signing a 360, like essentially you just end up
being really, really screwed over.
I'm using those contracts which were like they'll put it
sneakily, like, you know, you have to, you have to release 2
full length projects which they decide.
What that is, and it's not a standard, then yes.
Then then they can decide what a project is.
They can say the project that you released last year was
actually a mix tape and so really you have to really still
do two more projects and and this and that and all that stuff
is so like this. This is very surface level
stuff. There's so many different like
small things they put in this contracts that like they have
clauses that might say like even if you terminate the contract
will still be liable to get like percentages from your music for
five years, 10 years after you the the whole, the whole deal is
done. Things like that, which is so
easy to you can only earn you. Can only earn from your music
after it has done a specific amount of numbers and blah blah
blah. And now what that does is if if
they decide that they have not gotten the return they want in
the first few months of the album release, they're going to
stop pushing it. And then you don't get your
money back and then you're on the shelf.
Just the game. Can get nasty.
It can get nasty, yeah. And then there's the the.
Whole thing about like the in the contract, like how should
you recoup your your your advance and all that type of
stuff. And then they even do things
where like they'll put it in your contract that if you
release album A right? But it doesn't, it fails to
recoup the the amount of investment that they put into
into Album A, right? They can still take your your
money that you make from album B, which comes out like two
years later or a year later to still recoup.
Yeah, for album A and still you still need to recoup for Album
B. So therefore you end up making
zero money like from none really because you're all your money is
just going into recoup. So they'll put.
That's how you see a lot of artists broke outside because
you think that when you sign to a label like you have money,
especially, you're given what, $1,000,000 in advance and then a
couple of a year later you've seen this artist is super broke
fam that money is not and. And even on, it's.
Not for you. That money is alone.
Yeah, on your point. Even so I was I I think it was.
It was no, both of them. So S1 and Hit Boy 2 producers
that I really look up to, they are talking about how they were
signed to a label for a specific amount of songs, right.
So you have like 20 credits or songs now.
The layman will think, oh, this is really easy.
They just need to produce 20 songs and they're done.
So they got to the end of the the 20.
I don't know it was if it was one of them or there's another
producer talking about it. He got to the end of the 20 and
the label tells him that he has done like only three or four.
Why? And he's.
Wondering. What I've I've fulfilled my So
now what happened was within the contract.
And this is like the standard, right?
So when you produce a song as a producer, you get the amount you
get. Now if other people are are
included in that, your percentage of ownership of that
song reduces, right. So instead of him getting 50%
credit where he, if he just needs to do 40 songs and he's
done, he got 2%, he got 2% and it's not necessarily him, him he
had produced the track. The label decided, you know
what, we need this to be better. So the three and other producers
and other people like that. And so that reduces drastically
his amount. So now instead of having to
produce 40 songs to get out of his label, he has to do like 203
hundred and years and years and years.
And that's how you just get buried.
It's it's it's nasty. It's nasty.
But so yeah, so another one I I
guess if just probably two more, another one would be.
So with the labels comes politics.
These are establishments, bro. These are establishments that
have a lot of power. A lot of them are publicly
traded. There's a lot of money being
exchanged, billions and billions and billions and billions and
billions of dollars. So there's bound to be pulled
the political game where like, for example, if artist A is
under whatever label and artist B is under this other label and
this label for some reason are fighting with that other label
and you feel like you want to get a collaboration with the
other label, the labels that are fighting, the other label, the
opposite labels, flagship artist, and you think that
you're just going to finesse that while they're fighting.
Nope. They're going to find ways to
keep you from that. So politics is just it's nasty,
but it's just it's part of the it's part of politics.
With the labels and the platforms, like if the label
might be beefing with YouTube, like even the UMG true example,
again, that's also politics. And you just get wrapped up in
things that you're not really part of, but because you're in
the label, unfortunately, you know, you're wrapped up in it.
So yeah, politics. And then I guess for me, this
one is more of a, it's just like a combination of everything, of
all the the the cons, I mean, and it's something that, you
know, a lot of artists have expressed and I think Nikita was
kind of expressing you can take a toll on your mental health.
It's, it's very stressful. There's a lot of pressure.
There are a lot of deliverables and you're trying to really
navigate this landscape where you're, you're you're looking at
the contracts, you're potentially being finesse.
You don't have any creative control.
Sure, being in a label and being lucky enough to be like a star,
like that's huge because like you'll always be good.
Like if you're in a label and you're Justin Bieber, whatever
you're, you're living well. But if you're in a label and
you're a smaller artist and you're really trying, it can be.
It gets very stressful, It gets very stressful and it.
Gets and and. They they do go through a lot of
mental health like problems. Yeah, it's, it's it's crazy.
It's. Crazy and we've seen a lot of,
and that's a huge point take down like they were doing well.
Their art was great. It was very fresh.
It was cool And then they got signed to a label and afterwards
you just, it's just like they changed and it's a lot of it's
it can, it can get very stressful, man.
It can get very stressful. It can.
It can be a very. Mentally crushing thing to be in
a label. So yeah, man, for me personally,
if you're in the music industry and you're starting out, I
would, I would, I would make all the labels angry.
Make all the labels angry? Go ahead.
Yeah, I'd really advise. I'd really.
Advise you to stay independent. I think labels are really,
really built for the mega. Like the big stars, like the
really really big stars. Those are the real people who
are able to benefit properly from being in a label.
If you're a smaller artist, it could help, but like, you could
also gain a lot from being independent.
You know, you could, you could really work yourself to a point.
Now if your goals are to scale to the size of the Justin
Bieber's or whatever, I can tell you now you're not going to do
that. Being independent, It's
impossible. It's, it's really impossible.
You know, like even all these guys who say, oh, I'm
independent, like whatever, all my master, then you'll just
look, you'll see, you'll look at that thing and it'll be like, oh
that. But they have a distribution
deal with with Sony or they have a publisher to get whatever.
So would you get to that height independent?
Like like there's. A whole thing?
A couple of. Years back we chanced the
rapper, saying that oh, he won a Grammy when he was independent.
I don't know if he was completely independent on that
one. Exactly.
Yeah, it's who's publishing you. And so they.
Have really being really being really independent is a myth,
like, especially at that level. But like I was just saying, I
think it's more advisable to stay independent for as long as
you possibly can, For as long and yeah, and when you.
Sign deals. Sign them for the shortest
amount of time or shortest amount of projects.
Like just do it like that exactly.
Don't say. Oh, I'm going to wait 5.
Years so that these guys can really work on me, bro.
After one year, they're done with you.
If you're not, if you're not performing, if you can do
limited. If you can do limited deals, if
you can do non exclusive deals, yeah.
If you can do deals that are project by project basis, yeah,
like bro, those are the best things.
Like the the the best thing for you to do as an artist is to
Yeah, yeah, the best thing to do as an artist is to try and
minimize your engagement with these people as much as you
possibly can. Yeah, that's true.
That's true. Yeah, and actually both.
Ways. I think even them they like it
like they like not exactly so that, so that.
They don't have to deal with you for a long time.
They're like, right, we've gotten what we want out of this
guy. We've ringed him dry.
Look at him now. He's depressed.
He's tired, he's sad. His art isn't even that good.
Get rid of him and then you can leave and and go get your colour
back. So that's that's that's thanks
Sam for that. Glowing assessment.
You're welcome. What in terms?
Of man, what else was on? In terms of other news, I'll.
Just really run through these. I want to give a big
congratulations to Fenagitu because she was named Spotify
Equal Africa Ambassador for February.
That's a big deal. Shout out to Monica Kimoli
because she puts together these type of things on Spotify.
So essentially what happens is every month there's a new
ambassador for the Eco Africa program.
And essentially by so this I'm just reading.
By providing equal opportunities for female artists, the industry
becomes more inclusive, ensuring a broader range of perspectives
and narratives. This not only challenges
stereotypes, but also contributes to the preservation
of diverse cultural heritage. Additionally, visible
representation of successful female musicians serves as
inspiration for aspiring talents breaking down barriers and
encouraging the next generation of artists.
So I feel like what happens as well is like Spotify will also
really involve themselves in the marketing of this artist for the
month. They'll put them on their
playlist, they'll really highlight them, they'll showcase
them and just kind of put them on a pedestal show light to
their art and everything. And I think that's really dope
that they're doing this. So shout out to Fenagito, I hope
this is a good look for her. And yeah, she's been around for
a long time. To read so, so this is cool.
Yeah, it said. It said like.
It on the article it says she's been doing this for 13 years and
I'm like, wow, time flies. Yeah, that's.
That's many years. So shout out to her.
Shout out to Fena. All right, man.
What else was in the news? I'm.
I'm, I'm, I'm Dundo. Dundo.
Speaking of the. Labels we should have.
We should have sucked already into this.
Dundo is not really a label. No, it's not what is?
What is? It's a music.
It's a music platform. It's a streaming platform.
Oh, it's a. Music platform makes sense, but
Mudundo. They they've announced or
released the news that they are going to pay artists over $1.5
million in royalties. I will not try and convert that
to Shillings. So yeah, so the I've got the the
let me just read so Head of music and Licensing Wanjiku Koi
Nangi. I hope I got that right.
Said the implementation of artists of its Artist Royalty
Payment program would benefit about 156,000 artists over the
said period. Which said period?
Is that actually did they say 20?
2023-2024. So just the the breakdown is
interesting. OK so so this is the breakdown
of the total amount payable to the content providers.
So the the artists and whoever's making the content.
Kenya is going to get 4044% with 56,000 active artists, Tanzania
19% with 15,200. Nigeria is stud with 17% as
25,000 artists. South Africa is fourth with 7%
like this, Nigeria winning something there.
South Africa is 7th for with 7500 active artist, Uganda 6th
and Ghana 6th with 19,000 and 6900 respectively.
So that's really cool. That's really cool.
And I like, I like that they've broken down those numbers to
sort of give a perspective of of the market share of the
different countries and different regions.
As Ludo looks ahead. The artist royalty payment
program remains a beacon beacon of hope for musicians across
Africa. I'm doing those.
I promise you I can read, I'm doing those commitments to fair
compensation, strategic partnerships and innovative
approaches paints a promising picture of the future of the
music industry on the entire continent of Africa.
So shout out to M Dundo man, shout out to M duno, that's,
that's shout. Shout out to them, yeah.
Also, I also read, oh, sorry, go ahead.
No, no, this way. Go ahead, go ahead.
No, I was just going to say I also.
Read an article saying that they hit 30.8 monthly active users,
which puts them on track to their goal of reaching 50
million monthly active users by the end of 2025.
I also think they're doing very innovative stuff with them,
partnering with the telecom companies such as Safaricom,
Vodafone in Tanzania and all that type of stuff.
Like we know. I think that's the best way to
break into this niche of ours in East Africa and Africa in
general because we really, really, we're very, very
dominated by these telecom companies and they have a lot of
like reach and they already have the systems in place.
So I think Madundo is doing a lot of innovative stuff that is
going to really, really come in clutch.
Yeah. So let's watch and see what they
do. I hope that's why I'm sure they
have big plans. I'm sure they have big, big
plans. Shout out to them, yeah.
Man, that's all I had. That's all I had in terms of
news. That was interesting to me, man.
Yeah, me. Too.
So do you want to talk about new music?
Let's do that. Why not if?
Not did you. I'll, I'll, I'll toss to you
first. Did you listen?
Oh, you want me to start first? OK.
So, So what did I listen to in music?
OK, so there was 2 songs that have had a common theme of kind
of addressing the, you know, the recent femicide that's been
happening in the country. A Saudi soul released a song
called By the River with a very powerful statement that was
really targeted at men and asking us like, why are we
cheating our women like this? Why are you the way you are?
It's not funny. It's not funny.
But no, but like, yeah, I mean. Shout out to Sarti so for for
prioritizing that. And then also Saru released a
song with Joe Face where it was it was called The Girl Power
Freestyle and she also speaks powerfully about like the whole
femicide stuff and you know, so shout out to artists.
This goes back to our conversation about artists and
activism, and I respect artists using their platform to actually
spread positive messages such as these.
Another song I listened to was Para Panda by Savara father Moen
Waqadi Nali. That song had a bunch of
interesting lines. I don't know if it was Scar or
whoever it was. And that song said some very
interesting things. Sabuniya Rojo by Itzhaba and
Hart. The band also came out.
Let's see, oh more. Oh bro.
I feel like the the SE Soul boys were very active because, you
know, Para Panda had Savara and then Fancy Fingers released a
song with Xenia Manasse all over me.
How did you feel about it? It was cool.
It was.
Interesting. I was.
I was, I was, yeah. I wasn't sure how those two are
going to mix, but it was it was a good song.
I mean it was it was cool. Shout out to them.
Shout out to them for releasing brah.
Fancy Fingers is very very I think of all the artists like in
from SE Sole, I think he's he's OK.
BN is very consistent but Fancy Fingers is #2 in terms of
consistency. But they are releasing music.
Maybe. Except Chima.
We've not seen a lot of Chima. He did release an EP.
Yeah, but maybe Fancy Fingers releases.
Yeah, yeah, he's done a lot. He's.
Done a lot, Mali. Safi by Nadia, Mukami Okelo Max
and Prince Inder. There was butterflies, I think I
heard. That song and I, that's one of
the songs we are going to keep hearing for the next year and a
half. I promise you.
It's that same that Mali Safi, it's that that it's that, it's
the formula, it's the the guitars with the drill drums
let's you're going to hear that forever now.
Yeah, forever. Yeah.
Oh, there was an. Interesting one there was Let It
Play by a Ugandan artist called Sente and our very own Maya
Amolo. I thought that was interesting
and dope to listen to. There was Chachisha by Kalamoto
and Boutros. Boutros releases music like
every week at this point and I think the last OK there was,
there was oh, I want to shout out revamp our VMP from
Espresso. He released a song s s.
It's an instrumental, so shout out to him and then I think the
last one that I really listened to properly was.
There. Was Oh yeah Yule by Lee Boy.
So shout out to Lee Boy as well from keeping cool.
Let's go see let's go more shout out, shout out to.
Frederick Mula and Umuda sounds provoking the guys over there
with past, the future. I really enjoyed this one, man.
Frederick Mula is a rapper and if there's one thing I enjoy, I
enjoy Swahili. I think it's Swahili.
He's his Tanzanian, but he he does a straight here, so I
really enjoyed that rap, man. It's just super cool.
I love listening to that. Let's see, Sophie Anzal, I don't
know if you mentioned that. I didn't even see that.
Yeah, there is a song with. All balloons pop.
That's the name of the band. All balloons pop.
Or the artist or the producer called.
I do not say that Bati Bati. So shout out, shout to her.
She's still on the grind. Let me see, man.
Let me see, Let me see, Let me see, Let me see, let me see, let
me see. I don't know.
Yo, listen, I I there's more music.
I I so one thing. One, there's a lot of music,
yeah. There's, there's, there's a lot.
The song I think that I was very impressed by was was was
dopamine. I bro, I love rap, man.
Like, I just like it when people get on a track and rap well And
the beat let me get the producer's name right.
The beat was so dopamine Le Mario.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So he leaves A.
Project I think it's A5 song project.
We know dopamine. He hangs out a lot with
butchers, right. So yeah it was he's.
I think he's part he's part of. ADF he's part of Yeah, Yeah,
Fire. So.
So he's he's an artist in his own right.
Yeah. So it's produced by Le Mario.
The song is so dope. I mean, intro, but there's five
songs on the project. I encourage you to check it out.
This beat was just done. Well, man, it's a really good
beat. This is dope rapping.
There's an energy about it. So I think we should play that.
So this is dope. Would you say the song was dope?
I mean, oh man. You know what, I'm going to let
that slide just just because just just because of your
current state, I let that slide. So this is dope.
I mean with dope. I mean in brackets intro.
Give me that dope, yeah.
Yeah, man, that was dope. I mean, some good rap.
Good, good, aggressive rap music.
I like it. I like it.
I like Le Mario.
Le Mario. That's the only part of the song
that that, that. That that got to you right.
This is the producer tag. I just like the tag.
I like. I like produce.
I like the art of producer tags, but listen.
I think they're getting obnoxious now.
They're getting obnoxious. I've had I've had ballads like
just pianos and strings. The beginning of this song you
just hear you know you know the female one that female the
female tag that guys that all the producers love doing the the
weird. It's some array on the.
Beat. I hate the.
Some just close the. Mood off like it's.
Alright, to leave your tag off. Some things I don't want to
hear, just strings and violins and here it goes.
He's a farm in the middle of. That, oh, a farm.
Make keep. On making those hits and then
they always talk like that. They keep on making those hits.
Yeah, in that. Weird, soft whisper.
It's just no, that's not the vibe.
It's not the vibe. Anyway, Yeah, we need to.
We need to we need to cut. I'm waiting for that.
For the era of tags to end. I doubt it all, guys.
I. Unlike Sam, I'm not waiting for
the era of tags to end, because I love tags waiting for this
episode to end. But guys, shout out to you guys
for always sticking to us. Man, like I said, oh, we
recently just hit 1000. Oh yay, shout out to us.
On Instagram. Thank you to you guys.
Shout out to you guys for following from the ground up is
what we're doing. Here, from the ground up.
Really. Really.
Appreciate it. I think.
Yeah. We're not buying followers here.
But like you know, thank you guys so much for for, for
following and everything. We really, really really
appreciate it. Oh man this this.
Sorry. I know it's the end of the
podcast. But two things I want to say
about no, but like are you. Are you?
Are you are you. How do you feel about the news
that came out about Kanye West potentially touring.
Oh, I'm there I'm. There I I'm there.
You don't even have to. Well, I'm 90% there.
It depends because what do you mean 90?
I'm 90%. 100 Bro. In.
My bro Kanye West in Kenya is going to be.
That's going to be crazy. But that show is.
Going to be so, Sam, it's going to.
Be We need to figure out how to get him in the studio, bro.
Like, yo, I didn't figure out. Oh man, just to sit there and
like the antics studio. Yeah, you need to start the.
Antics now so that when he. Comes he already knows that
there's a there's a madman called Sam and then he can
invite me to the studio farm. Being in the studio with Kanye
West would be like it will be. It'll be top notch.
It'll be top. It would be.
It would be a sight to see last, last.
Thing last thing that's that's an extra very important
question, Sam. I spice a Lotto.
Whose side are you on? All right, All right.
Thank you guys for. Thank you guys for listening to
the podcast. OK, listen.
Let me break it down for you bro.
Listen, I spice I love you man, but like latter is too like
latter has to be. But that wasn't like much of A.
This, this. There weren't too many disses in
there. It was like a very commercial
distress. The 2nd.
Verse the second verse like she actually directly waiting for
isis spices. Oh, I'm not waiting for it.
I someone isis spices. Ice spices, ice spices.
I listen. I love you both.
I love both of them. I love both of them so much.
I'm just, I'm even upset. I'm physically upset that
they're fighting. That's that's the siblings are
fighting. The group chat is is in
disarray. Are you in the I spice and
latter group chat? I mean maybe the discord all.
Right. Well, thank you guys for
listening. We appreciate, we appreciate
every. We appreciate every one of you.
Thank you. Yes.
I want to finish with a quote that I found.
Actually, I'm going to end this on a high, and this is just an
interesting quote I found by Mr. Wolfgang Amadeus or Amadeus or
Amadeus Mozart. And he says the music is not in
the notes but in the silence between.
That's something. That I've really learnt.
Producing music like I I've actually like peeped that it's
the silence. That the silence is what gives
like the the drums bops like you know that the silences you add
is that's what adds the bounce. And bro, there's just so much
like, but it's just deeper than even what I'm seeing.
So anyway I just wanted to leave you guys with that quote because
I think it's really dope. But yeah, Sam, sorry.
I really appreciate this little quotes that you're bringing to
the podcast. I I really appreciate them.
I honestly do. Yeah.
What else, man? I've said, I've said thank you
guys for listening five times at this point.
This is it at this point. Guys, listen, Bye.
Let's see you guys on episode 64.
Man, shout out to your. Yeah.
Peace.