With a surge in popularity for the Afrobeats sound, (which many attribute to Drake’s 2016 single “One Dance” featuring Nigerian singer Wizkid) and the emerging market in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Warner Music Group has entered into its second partnership with an African company this month. After first signing a major licensing deal with popular African streaming and downloading service ‘Boomplay,” WMG has now partnered up with the influential Nigerian record label, ‘Chocolate City,’ to broaden the reach of the label’s roster of artists, which include Femi Kuti and Brymo.
Under the new deal, Chocolate City artists will join WMG’s repertoire and receive the support of the company’s distribution and artist services via its independent label services division, ADA. Chocolate City Group CEO, Audu Maikori, said in a statement, “At Chocolate City, we have always been passionate about discovering and developing the best talent across Africa and giving them a platform for global growth. The partnership with Warner Music Group is unique in the sense that our clients get the best of both worlds, curated and bespoke services by a highly experienced team across Africa and a dedicated global team to further push their music and their brands.”
Warner Music Executive VP, Alfonso Perez Soto, said, “The music scene in Nigeria is so rich and diverse that it’s important that we develop bespoke entrepreneurial strategies. At the same time, we’ll keep in mind the lessons learned from other emerging markets, for instance, Latin America where we successfully broke local artists globally. We have great affinity with Chocolate City’s creative and ambitious approach, and we’re excited about Warner’s role in bringing to life their vision of taking their music worldwide.”
The partnership includes a strategic, reciprocal marketing agreement with WMG South Africa. WMG will also financially invest in ‘Chocolate City’ to assist in its mission of signing and developing local talent. According to Billboard, ‘Chocolate City’ co-founders Audu Maikori and Paul Okeugo, along with Executive VPs Jude Abaga and Aibee Abidoye, will continue to lead the company.
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