Nana Poku Ashis, an artist manager and industry pundit, has backed Sarkodie’s remarks regarding the dangers of record labels.
Recall that Sarkodie delivered a biting stanza criticizing the increasing power of major record labels in the African music industry during his participation on the Hennessy South Africa Cypher 2024.
In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie, Ashis said that the rapper is aware of the risks and difficulties associated with record deals because he has firsthand experience in the music business.
“It was a good call for Sarkodie to educate the younger ones because he has been there, done that, and he knows what risks the younger ones start to take. He’s probably gone into deals that didn’t go well with him. So when he’s talking from that angle, I think it’s very important for the younger ones to listen to what he was saying,” Ashis remarked.
He repeated Sarkodie’s caution against giving in to the allure of record labels’ short-term incentives, which might result in long-term limitations, including cash, vehicles, and homes.
“You probably would be thinking, ‘Oh, they’re giving me the money. They’ve given me a car. They’ve given me a house. You might be locked for a very long time,” Ashis cautioned.
Ashis also advised artistes to carefully evaluate their financial power, goals, and the direction they want to take in their careers before signing with a record label.
“You need to look at your financial power. You need to look at the goals you have set for yourself. You need to look at where you are going. And if you feel that you’re strong enough to handle the little that will come your way, to become a bigger person, that you can branch off and then take everything, becoming a win-win situation for you, that’s okay. Go ahead,” he advised.
However, Ashis clarified that record labels are not inherently bad, describing them as “necessary evils” in the music industry.