Sports Motivational Quote
Motivational words from J.J Watt, Defensive end, former American football player.
Meet Ckay, Africa’s Self-proclaimed Boyfriend
Born Chukwuka Ekweani in Kaduna, CKay is the tender auteur who turned vulnerability into global currency. He started behind the boards with producing, writing & crafting moods, but had always carried the reputation of having a voice of his own. Over time that voice which is a blend of Afrobeats, emo-pop, highlife warmth and moody electronic hues became a a lane of its own as it leads to what fans now call Emo-Afrobeats. His journey turned global with Love Nwantiti, first released in 2019 on his EP CKay the First, a sleeper hit that refused to sleep. It went vìral among TikTok dancers and scaled the charts in six continents, topped Shazam’s global chart, and turned into a viral anthem that redefined what an Afrobeats love song could do. Today, Love Nwantiti stands as one of the most certified African songs ever having being certified 8× Platinum in the U.S. by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making CKay the first Nigerian artist to hit that level of sales in the States. In 2022 he dropped his debut full-length album Sad Romance, an emotional body of work that threaded heartbreak, longing and hope through smooth melodies and beats. What sets CKay apart isn’t just the numbers or the awards. It’s that he’s built an intimate, melodic and real world people keep coming back to with songs like Emiliana, Mmadu, Felony & Way proving that he doesn’t need to yell to be heard worldwide, he whispers, and the world listens.
Did You Know Labels Can Trademark Stage Names?
Did you know some artists lose ownership of their stage name if it was trademarked by their label? In many recording or management deals, the label quietly trademarks the artist’s name early on especially if they funded branding, rollout, or marketing. So when the artist leaves, they sometimes can’t legally use the same name for releases, merch, or performances unless they negotiate to buy it back. But WHY do labels do this?? •To protect the brand they invested in • To prevent an artist from leaving and carrying the label’s “property” • To maintain merchandising revenue.
Sports Fun Fact
Did you know that Arsenal’s Invincibles went an entire Premier League season (2003-2004) unbeaten, earning 90 points, scoring 73 goals, and conceding just 26! Their unbeaten streak stretched 49 games, led by Thierry Henry’s 30 goals and managed by Arsene Wenger. A truly iconic moment in football history!
Freezing and Release Commitment Clauses
Did you know that record labels can legally refuse to release an artist’s finished album even if the artist has met all creative deadlines? This is called “freezing” a project, and it happens when the label feels the music isn’t “commercially ready” or the market timing isn’t right. It’s one reason many artists negotiate “release commitment clauses” or “minimum release guarantees” (a label’s promise to commercially release an artist’s music within a specific timeframe after delivery) into their deals today, so their music can’t be shelved/held hostage indefinitely.
Meet Shallipopi, the Pluto Presido
Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi, is the Benin-born hitmaker whose charm lies in how effortlessly he turns street slang into sonic gold. Bursting onto the scene in 2023 with the viral Elon Musk, he introduced a refreshing blend of street-pop and trippy vibe the fits perfect into the name he christened it, “Plutomania.” Welding Edo traditional tunes with Afrofusion bounce, he’s been able to drop back-to-back smashes like Ex Convict, Obapluto, and Cast featuring Odumodublvck. His 2023 debut project Planet Pluto and follow-up Presido La Pluto in the same year validated him as one of Afrobeats’ most unpredictable new stars. Now running his own label, Plutomania Records, with signees like Zerrydl and Tega Boi DC, Shallipopi has proven he’s more than a viral act; he’s a full-blown culture shaper. His music speaks to the streets but travels the world — raw, rhythmic, and always wrapped in that Plutonic mischief that keeps everyone hooked. If you’re new to the wave, tracks like Elon Musk, Obapluto, Things on Things, and Cast will tell you all you need to know about the boy who turned slang into stardust.
Music Rights – The New Trend, Renting Instead of Selling
Labels don’t always own an artist’s master recordings (music rights) anymore, some artists now license their music to labels instead of signing it away. This means that instead of permanently selling their masters (like older contracts used to demand), artists now rent out their music rights to labels for a set period (say, 5–10 years). The label handles marketing and distribution, but once the deal expires, the artist gets full ownership back. This is evident in how Olamide’s YBNL has signed several licensing deals, including his partnership with Empire, which lets him and his signees (like Fireboy DML and Asake) keep ownership while enjoying global distribution. It’s a new era, and this is a testament to the fact that for artists, exposure is not enough, equity also matters.