Music imitates life. It’s in how ‘Afro Adura’ resonates with the average young person struggling in the streets of Makoko, how ‘Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst’ brings us face to face with our mortality, and every other lyric or instrumental that made you feel.
Beyond the glitz and glamor synonymous with Nigerian music, it is built on the back of community. And nothing describes this more accurately than record labels. The Nigerian music industry lacks proper structure, but somehow, record labels have worked…to a large extent.
First and foremost, record labels are business entities created to make a profit from creating, distributing, and promoting music. But in many ways, they are more than just that.
In some cases, they grow into family trees, from which different generations spring up. In some others, feuds destroy every relationship and the label goes up in flames.
For Nigerian music, record labels have been at the heart of our national and international triumph. After the international labels left the country in the aftermath of the civil war and military rule between the 70s and 80s, Nigerian labels held it down for us.
They have played a massive role in defining eras and creating legacies that will stand the sands of time.
In this piece, we shall highlight the most prominent labels over the years from the ’90s until now, detailing the top acts on their roster. Let’s get into it!
1990s: The pioneer era
Kennis Music
Started by Nigerian radio DJ Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe, and with Dayo ‘D1’ Adeneye at the helm, Kennis Music was a pioneer label in the game.It had legendary bands like The Remedies, and Plantashun Boyz, as well as solo acts like Sound Sultan, Sir Shina Peters, Paul Play, Olu Maintain, etc. It has an estimated number of 75 albums.
Storm Records
Founded by Obi Asika, Storm Records had a diverse talent base. It was home to the likes of Naeto C, Sasha, Darey Art Alade, eLDee, and Banky W, amongst others. The latter two ended up creating record labels of their own, which shows the far-reaching impact of Storm Records. It has an estimated number of over 30 albums.
2000s: The rise of Afrobeats
Mo’hits
When a super producer meets a superstar, Mo’ Hits is what happens. Don Jazzy and D’banj, having been forged from the fires of JJC’s 419 squad in the UK, came back home to create a generational label. They gave us the first official Afrobeats crossover hit in ‘Oliver Twist,’ D’Prince, Kay Switch, Dr. Sid, and the ethereal Wande Coal. After their sad split, Don Jazzy went on and created another behemoth label called ‘Mavin Records.’ It has an estimated number of over 15 albums.
Chocolate City
Audu Maikori started Choc City (a nightclub at first) as a budding lawyer, but with time it grew into the household name it is today. First came Jeremiah Gyang, then M.I., Jesse Jagz, and Ice Prince with Brymo joining the team. The second iteration came with Loose Kaynon, Victoria Kimani, and more. The emo boys took the industry by storm via Dice Ailes and CKay, and the fourth iteration gave us A-Q, who signed Blaq Bonez through his 100 Crowns imprint. It has an estimated number of over 25 albums.
2010s: The global stage
E.M.E
Banky W, the hybrid singer and rapper changed the game forever when he started Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) with his best friend Tunde Demuren. At the time, the industry didn’t have a star who the younger generation could really relate to in terms of age and shared experiences. Until Mr. W unearthed the gem called Wizkid. EME also had an interesting roster of acts like Skales, Niyola, Shaydee, DJ Exclusive, etc. It has an estimated number of 8 albums.
YBNL
After Olamide dropped his debut album, ‘Rapsodi’ on Coded Tunes, he left and floated his label. Cheekily named Yahoo Boy No Laptop (YBNL), Olamide struck gold with his solo releases on the label. In the subsequent years, YBNL was home to multiple superstars like Lil Kesh, Chinko Ekun, Adekunle Gold, Fireboy, and most recently Asake. Interestingly, Young Jonn and Pheelz who started out as producers on YBNL have evolved into amazing artists in their own right. Baddo was the first in his generation to start a label, and undoubtedly the best. A kingmaker, for real. It has an estimated number of over 20 albums.
Mavin Records
Don Jazzy took the broken pieces of Mo’ Hits and built an even stronger house in Mavin. At first, he signed the irrepressible Tiwa Savage, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, and Di’Ja with Dr. Sid and Wande Coal the survivors of Mo’ Hits. Over time, Johnny Drille joined. Today, it is the leading Gen Z label with global popstars Rema and Ayra Starr at the forefront of the zeitgeist, with Crayon, Magixx, Lifesize Teddy and Boy Spyce also blazing hot. Mavin also invests heavily in its producers and songwriters, with popular names like London, Andre Vibez, Milar, and Embryo all excelling in the industry. It has an estimated number of over 25 projects.
Aristokrat Records
Founded by Piriye Isokrari in 2010, Aristokrat gave us the iconic Burna Boy and amazing producers, LeriQ and Kel-P. After a decade of excellence, Aristokrat partnered with Universal Music France. Today, it boasts next-gen acts like Ria Sean, Jujuboy Star, and T’neeya. It has an estimated number of over 7 projects.
DMW
After the enigmatic Davido left his former label, HKN Music, he re-strategized and started Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), signing Mayorkun, Dremo, Peruzzi, and Idowest amongst others. The first iteration of DMW was as good as it gets until it wasn’t. After a couple of years, Davido re-branded again and signed Morravey and Logos Olori. It has an estimated number of over 20 projects.
Empawa Africa
Empawa, led by the innovative Mr. Eazi, is more akin to an incubator program than the typical record label. But it is hella prolific and productive. The label has supported multiple artists such as Fave, Majeeed, Minz, amongst others. Undoubtedly, the jewel in its crown was Joeboy. Empawa keeps empowering African artists around the continent.
Alté/Soundcloud Era
Unlike the other names on this list, the SoundCloud/Alté team was more of an era of indie artists than a label. These young people challenged and changed the status quo, ushering a creative and fluid musical style. People like DRB LasGidi, Cruel Santino, Tems, Lady Donli, Tay Iwar, Ajebutter 22, Black Magic, Odunsi (The Engine), and Show Dem Camp, amongst others, have played pivotal roles in its ubiquity today. It has an estimated number of over 15 projects.
2020s: The new wave
DVPPER
Dvpper Music is the pulse of the streets. Founded by Damilola Akinwunmi, it is home to Seyi Vibez, Shallipoppi, Balloranking, Bharry Jay, T.I. Blaze and a host of other street poets. It is the haven for acts whose style of music are typically frowned upon due to the gritty, passionate and unfiltered themes. Dapper also distributes music for other top acts like Falz, Skibii, Berry Tiga, Rexxie, etc. It has an estimated number of over 15 projects.
KeyQaad
Founded by two childhood friends, Valentine Ngaji and Marshall Onaemo, KeyQaad is at the forefront of pushing boundaries in the music industry. Boasting one of the new gen’s finest acts in Omah Lay and the promising Kaestyle, KeyQaad’s stock has steadily risen over the years. It has an estimated number of about 4 projects.
Also read – Top Nigerian label executives by decades
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