K1 De Ultimate Band Members Abscond After UK Show

Two band members of renowned Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as ‘K1 De Ultimate’, have reportedly gone missing in the United Kingdom (UK).  The musicians were en route to a performance at an event in the UK when they mysteriously disappeared. Nigerian journalist, Seun Oloketuyi broke the news, revealing that the lead guitarist and the keyboardist of K1’s band are currently on the run after their entry into the UK.  The incident has raised concerns within the music community. Seun Oloketuyi shared a photo of the missing band members on social media, stating, “Two of K1 band members have absconded without a trace in the UK. The lead guitarist, pictured, and the keyboardist are on the run. It is quite sad, I learned he has reported the absconders.”

Naira Marley Lands In Police Custody Over MohBad’s Death

The Lagos State Police Command has officially confirmed the arrest and detention of Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, the CEO of Marlian Records.  This arrest is in connection with the tragic demise of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad. The Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, took to Twitter late Tuesday night to announce Naira Marley’s detention, stating, “Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley, has been taken into custody for interrogation and other investigation activities.” This news came shortly after Naira Marley himself tweeted that he had returned to Lagos, Nigeria, with the intention of assisting the police in their ongoing investigations into Mohbad’s untimely death.  He expressed his commitment to playing his part in seeking justice for Imole. In his tweet, Naira Marley said, “I’d like to share that I’ve just arrived back in Lagos, Nigeria to assist the authorities with the ongoing investigation. It’s important I do my part for Imole. I’ll be meeting with the police with hopes for the truth to be uncovered and for justice to prevail.” This move follows Naira Marley’s previous promise to return to the country to clear his name, as he had raised concerns about his safety and claimed that someone was attempting to falsely implicate him in Mohbad’s death. In related developments, the police had previously arrested Balogun Olamilekan Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, in connection with Mohbad’s tragic passing.     

2023 Headies: Rema, Asake, Burna Boy win big at 16th Awards

 Nigerian musician Divine Ikubor, known professionally as Rema’s most popular single, Calm Down won several awards on Sunday night at the 16th Headies in Atlanta, Georgia. The event, tagged “Celebrating African Renaissance,” was hosted by Nollywood actress, Osas Ighodaro and American media personality, Terrence J. Rema won Best Male artist, African Artist of the Year and Digital artist of the year. Also, Ahmed Ololade, known professionally as Asake, walked home with a brand-new car after winning the highly coveted Next Rated category while Damini Ogulu, professionally known as Burna Boy’s Last Last won Afrobeats single of the year and Song of the Year. Other winners of the night include Seyi Vibez, Spyro, Odumodublvck, Rexxie, Blaq Bonez and others. Meanwhile, the organisers didn’t present some of the categories, including Best Recording of The Year, Songwriter of The Year, Best RnB Single, Best Vocal Performance (Female), Headies Viewers’ Choice, Best East African artiste of the year, and Best North African Artiste of The Year. Others are Best Southern African Artiste of The Year, Best Central African Artiste of The Year, International Artiste Of The Year, Best Alternative Album, and Best RnB Album. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Odumodublvck – (Winner) PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Rexxie (Abracadabra) – (Winner) SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR “Loyal” Simi – (Winner) BEST R&B SINGLE “For My Hand” by Bruna Boy ft ED Sheeran – (Winner) BEST RAP SINGLE “Declan Rice” by Odumodublvck – (Winner) BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE) “In Between” Waje – (Winner) BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE) “Kpe Paso” Wande Coal – (Winner) BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG “Earth Song” by Wizard Chan – (Winner) BEST MUSIC VIDEO “Calm Down (Remix)” by Director K – (Winner) BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR “Soweto” by Victony and Tempoe – (Winner) BEST COLLABORATION Spyro ft. Tiwa Savage– “Who’s Your Guy Remix” – (Winner) BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE Seyi Vibez – “Chance (Na Ham)” – (Winner) AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR “Last Last” – Burna Boy – (Winner) HEADIES’ VIEWERS’ CHOICE Victony & Tempoe – “Soweto” – (Winner) BEST R&B ALBUM The Brother’s Keeper – Chike – (Winner) BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM Gbagada Express – Boj – (Winner) BEST RAP ALBUM Young Preacher – Blaqbonez – (Winner) ALBUM OF THE YEAR Mr Money With The Vibe – Asake – (Winner) SONG OF THE YEAR “Last Last” – Burna Boy – (Winner) BEST FEMALE ARTISTE Ayra Starr – (Winner) BEST MALE ARTISTE Rema – (Winner) NEXT RATED Asake – (Winner) AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Rema (Nigeria) – (Winner) LYRICIST ON THE ROLL Payper Corleone – “Fly Talk Only” – (Winner) BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE “Eze Ebube” – Neon Adejo – (Winner) DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Rema – (Winner) BEST WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Black Sherif (Ghana) – (Winner) BEST EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Diamond Platnumz – (Winner) BEST NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR El Grande Toto – Morocco – (Winner) BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Focalistic – South Africa – (Winner) HALL OF FAME Youssou N’dour SPECIAL RECOGNITION SOUND SULTAN

Nigerian musicians rake in N11bn revenue from Spotify

Streaming giant Spotify has unveiled that Nigerian musicians enjoyed a substantial revenue of over N11 billion from the platform in the year 2022. In a statement released in Lagos on Thursday, Ms Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted the transparency initiative by the company through its annual report named Loud & Clear, aimed at sharing insights into the music industry’s financial landscape and Spotify’s royalty disbursements. Muhutu-Remy emphasized the importance of providing artists with a comprehensive understanding of music streaming economics. She stated, “In the course of 2022, Nigerian artists collectively garnered an impressive sum of over N11 billion exclusively from Spotify. The overall revenue for the Nigerian music industry witnessed a remarkable growth of 63 percent between 2021 and 2022.” She further detailed, “The specific revenue generated by Nigerian artists solely from Spotify displayed a remarkable 74 percent growth during the same period. Notably, the count of Nigerian artists earning over N5 million and N10 million in Spotify royalties has risen by almost 25 percent in 2022.” Muhutu-Remy made clear that these figures exclusively represent Spotify earnings, excluding contributions from other platforms, live performances, merchandise, and concert tickets. Underscoring Spotify’s commitment to empowering African creators, Muhutu-Remy revealed the platform’s dedication to connecting these artists with its 550 million active users. Beyond revealing Nigerian artists’ revenue, the statement also featured fresh insights into the top-exported Afrobeats albums, artistes, tracks, and female Afrobeats tracks. Muhutu-Remy highlighted the global reach of Afrobeats, citing top streaming cities as London, Paris, Abuja, Nairobi, Amsterdam, and Accra. “Our unwavering pledge at Spotify is to ensure that professional musicians can sustain a livelihood through their craft. The disclosure of the 2022 earnings of Nigerian artists on our platform reflects our commitment to transparency and our mission to enable artists to thrive on their artistic pursuits,” Muhutu-Remy asserted. She elaborated on the factors behind Afrobeats’ remarkable surge, pointing to international collaborations, the amplifying effect of social media, the ascent of music streaming, and the influence of the African diaspora. Citing a survey commissioned by Spotify and conducted by Kuvora, Muhutu-Remy mentioned that 28 percent of fans identified international collaborations as a pivotal driver in Afrobeats’ expansion.