Tiwa Savage noted that it is crucial for artists to discern whether the label they are signing to genuinely cares about them or simply views them as moneymaking machines.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Afrobeats singer, songwriter, and actress Tiwa Savage has acknowledged that her former record label and its owner played a significant role in her mental health and well-being.
The ‘Somebody’s Son’ crooner made this known during an appearance on the latest episode of the ‘Afrobeats Intelligence podcast’, hosted by award-winning Nigerian music journalist and culture critic Joey Akan.
After relocating back to Nigeria, Tiwa Savage joined Mavin Records—owned by popular music executive Don Jazzy—in 2012, before leaving in 2019 to sign with Universal Music Group (UMG).
Despite exiting the label, the 46-year-old artist has maintained a cordial relationship with her former employer.
ALSO READ: Cubana Chief Priest says he dumped Obi because he will lose 2027 presidential election
Speaking on her relationship with Mavin Records, Savage said she did not realise how important a label is to an artist’s mental well-being until she left her former stable.
She went on to explain that during her stint with the company, she used to confide in her boss, Don Jazzy, and her labelmates, but no longer enjoys such privileges at her new international label.
She said: “Who you are signed to is very important, and I didn’t appreciate it until after I left Mavin. Whenever there’s a controversy online, I’d run to Don Jazzy’s room, sit on the floor or bed with other Mavin acts, and we would talk about it. I would cry if I had to cry, and we would get through it.
“But being with a [foreign] label, they don’t really care about your personal stuff. So, I can’t really go to the Empire office and cry. I miss that part of it.”
Savage further noted that it is crucial for artists to discern whether the label they are signing to genuinely cares about them or simply views them as moneymaking machines.
