What It’s Like To…Start One of the Biggest Music Labels in Nigeria

Maikori sought to make music exciting but also profitable. Under Chocolate City, stars like M.I, Ice Prince, Brymo, Jesse Jagz, Bez and many others flourished. Each artist was an integral part of the many phases of Afrobeats as a genre and a cultural movement, and Chocolate City has managed to adapt through the many changes the industry has undergone.

Today, the label is home to Young Jonn, Blaqbonez and CKay’s wildly successful single “Love Nwantiti” was made while still signed to Chocolate City.

Below, Maikori, who now serves on the board of Chocolate City Group and spends his days working on various passion projects, tells OkayAfrica what it’s like to be at the forefront of one of the continent’s biggest record labels and entertainment outfits.

Audu Maikori: I always tell people that I was a failed rapper who wasn't able to do what I thought I could, as music was a strong part of my background. My father was a choirmaster and my mother was in the choir as well. [You know how] parents have a dream and try to achieve those dreams through their kids? In my case, I thought of everybody’s kids as mine and so the idea for Chocolate City was, how do we create a platform for talented people to be able to achieve their dreams?

When you look at 2005, there was the perception that people who were in the entertainment industry were people who couldn't get real jobs or who weren’t educated. My father was also an attorney and my first insight into how serious the music business could be was when he brought home books on entertainment law contracts and it befuddled my mind to see that lawyers could also be part of the entertainment industry.

While setting up the label, it was important to create a different idea of what record labels look like. From how we branded ourselves to how we looked and dressed, it was important for people to know that there were serious people behind the label and not just some guys who couldn't find a job or had nothing else better to do. Soon enough, there were little markers of success. For me the first time I got a hint was when I heard our music on the radio and watched the artist in an interview. We got tons of calls, and the bookings went up.

One of the strategies that helped us thrive was that we decided early on to be a 360 entertainment company. Music was just part of the big ecosystem. We always had several other sources of income and this is why we were able to survive in times when people weren't making money from royalties. When you think about the rampant piracy that has plagued Nigeria, it's only about maybe the past six years that people started making money from streaming. So we created Chocolate City Music, Replete, a publishing outfit, a distribution company and others.

The second thing that helped is our structure. Chocolate City wasn't a one-man business. We try to rotate leadership and keep the vision evergreen. Our next agenda is film — an industry I have a soft spot for and one that has the capacity for mass employment. The process of making a film employs more people than recording music.

What I am most proud about what we've done with Chocolate City is that we’ve been able to demonstrate that people's dreams can come to reality. CKay’s success with “Love Nwantiti” was a big deal. We're blessed and lucky to have been behind it. My first impression of CKay was that the range of what he can produce is quite broad. I know how many parents have brought their kids in the past 15 years, and say, ‘Oh you want to do music, go and intern at Chocolate City, go and learn how it’s done properly.’

I'm very proud of that because what we try to do is ensure that there's something that people can aspire to be, to be able to say that this is an establishment, [and] this is how things can be done… that's the legacy. In terms of the future, I think we are all put on the earth to make a difference where there are opportunities to make a difference that align with [our goals] and vision. I’ll keep doing that.