Ask Ms. Uduak

This one is for the Naija celebrity artists, many, if not majority, of whom bookmark and visit NotJustok.com regularly.

The Problem
Nigerian celebrities, like celebrities worldwide, know people will talk about them, regardless. Who is s/he dating? S/he is so arrogant. Did you see what s/he wore? His album was horrible etc. Really, it’s part of life. Deal with it. However, what happens when you get hit with vicious rumors that go beyond the ordinary to just plain “I will destroy you, your family and your village?” For example, did you read the story on Uche Jumbo earlier this year that circulated everywhere and claimed she “aborted” her six-month old child? That “ish” was not funny and by all accounts was traumatic for the actress. What about singer/actor Jim Iyke? Did you read the story that he allegedly contracted HIV/AIDS from his married Sierra Leone secret lover? Wow! Finally, who could forget Wande Coal’s allegedly naked pictures that circulated on twitter and the internet? Super embarrassing. Plus, assume the pictures were indeed Coal’s, he never gave permission for it to be republished on www.

Beyond the fact that these rumors are absolutely very injurious to the professional reputation of the personalities involved, it also, on a personal level, hurts these individuals who have done nothing wrong than to excel at their crafts. Here is how to nip that in the butt, online and “Yankee” style.

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(New York, New York, August 19th, 2010)— Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA) announces Uduak Oduok will host its 2010 NEA Red Carpet Awards. The NEA celebrates and recognizes the achievements of Nigerians in the fashion and entertainment field, globally.

This year’s event takes place as Nigeria, the largest country in the continent of Africa, celebrates 50 years of independence from British ruling.

“I am thrilled and honored to be NEA’s 2010 Red Carpet host,” said Oduok. “Nigeria remains very  relevant, globally, inspite of its problems. I look forward to sharing the country’s remarkable entertainment and fashion personalities with America and the world!”

Uduak Oduok recognized as a brilliant visionary, especially on Africa’s emerging global fashion and entertainment markets, is a US based fashion model, attorney, journalist and publisher.

“We are excited Uduak will be NEA’s official red carpet host for our 5th Annual event this year,” said Tope Esan, Co-Founder & Executive Producer. “Uduak’s love for diverse cultures, her versatility and influence in the fashion and entertainment industry (within and outside Nigeria) makes her a natural fit.”

The 2010 NEA Awards takes place on September 18th, 2010 at New York’s BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center located 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.

Confirmed celebrities attending the event include Singers Laura Izibor, Nneka and Lara George, Nollywood Actress Genevieve Nnaji, Actors Ramsey Nouah & Jim Iyke, Supermodel Oluchi and  2010 BET Nominated rapper M.I. The event will also be hosted by West African Idol finalist Omawumi Magbele.

Artists and entertainers at the NEA Awards will be recognized in seven categories this (music, radio, film/TV, fashion, comedy, entertainment promotions, other entertainment) year.

For more information/to purchase your tickets, visit www.nigeriaentawards.com.

ABOUT UDUAK ODUOK

As a journalist, Uduak Oduok has conducted numerous interviews with some of the world’s leading names in fashion and entertainment including Alexander McQueen, Donna Karan, Vivienne Westwood, Diddy, Lemar Odom, D’Banj, P-Square, Rachel Roy, Beverly Johnson, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson, Sean Paul, Mo’Nique, Tracy Reese, Jason Wu, Ozwald Boateng, Ralph Rucci, David Tlale, Tiffany Amber, Sabayasahci Mukherjee, Stephanie Okereke and Deola Sagoe. Nominated for her “Outstanding Contributions to Fashion Communications” at the 2010 AFI Africa Fashion Awards, Uduak is also a publisher as well as an attorney representing clients in the fashion and entertainment industry. For more information on Uduak, visit www.uduaklaw.com.

ABOUT NIGERIA ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

The Nigeria Entertainment Awards is annual event in the United States that recognizes the outstanding achievements of Nigerians in music, film, TV, comedy, fashion and radio, globally. The award ceremony features performances by prominent Nigerian and international artists. Established in 2006, the NEA is passionate about promoting Nigerian and African entertainment and using its platform to educate and address issues about Africans and friends of Africa in the diaspora. For more information, visit www.nigeriaentawards.com



“How do I incorporate my record label in Nigeria . . .?” I got this question, made a mental note of it  and can’t for the life of me find the email to identify the author. Pele (sorry) to the author. Here is the answer to your question on incorporation.

What Law Governs? Nigeria’s Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Which Agency is Responsible for Administering the Act? Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

Wetin all Dis Oyinbo Mean Sef? The Naija government essentially says, “if you want to run your music label or do business as an artist in Naija, you should let us know, register your business with us (i.e. pay us some money 10,000.00 to 30,000 Naira depending on business entity) and we will give you some benefits and protect you in case of wahala.” You should seek the help of a Naija based attorney, chartered accountant or secretary to help execute this.

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The most common question I get from Notjustok.com readers is about revenue sources that stem from record label agreements. It is an absolutely exciting time to be in music, especially as a Naija artist, given the digital revolution. I also believe the Naija music industry has an opportunity to carve out a model that can be more equitable to both the artist and label versus the models we have in the West. Having said that, let’s jump right into it!

How Does the Music Industry Make Money?
To discuss revenue streams from record label agreements, artists we must have a fundamental understanding of how the music industry makes its monies. Music industries make money primarily through: 1) sound recordings (track record you hear on Itunes or actual physical album) and 2) music compositions (written songs artist performs). The two methods above have many layers that generate numerous streams of revenue for both the artists and label.

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“Laaaaaaaaadies,” sang Paul Okoye. “I say Laaaaaadies,” he teased even further. An unending “Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!” giant screams was the response from the crowd full of P-Square female fans. Savoring every moment and gleefully showing the ladies a foretaste of what was to come, Paul teased even further. “I say laaaaaadies, who wants to marry my brother?” he sang. You could hear the fellas in the crowd chuckle while even louder giant screams of excitement emerged from the ladies; greeting the ears of all at the Oakland historical Sweet Ballroom where P-Square was performing on July 9th, 2010.

STOP. While it is sweet to take you through the reactions and details of the overall event and audience when P-Square performed in Oakland as part of their USA tour, the sweeter thing is to share with you what P-Square had to say about being millionaires and their secrets to success. As Ovie O would say, this is “NotJustOk.com on another level.” My exclusive interview was conducted in a super relaxed setting at the Oakland Marriott Hotel in P-Square’s suite. Special thanks to Joy Tongo (JTON Productions) and Adewole Lipede (Back Home Productions) for making sure I was taken care of.

Peter Okoye was the spokesperson for the evening.

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“NAIJA LET’S GO!” was the patriotic shout Adewole (Wole) Lipede of Backhome Productions gave at Boulevard 3 as he matched about six of us Nigerians, VIP, into the BET 2010 Ludacris and Neo after party. Indeed it was a Naija dominated weekend in the international category at the 2010 BET Awards show.“We might not have scored at the World Cup. But we scored big at the BET Awards,” was how Paul Okoye of P-Square put it to Notjustok.com.

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Greetings NotJustOk.com readers, this past week has been a solemn one. Last week began with ongoing meaningless squabbles among artists in our Nigerian (Naija) music industry. But midway, something happened that reminded us to rearrange our priorities and gain perspective. Dapo Olaitan Olaonipekun aka DA GRIN died.

As one of his fans who shared his music with friends, business acquaintances and even dates, I remain dumbfounded at the loss of a very young, talented and powerful artist. What amazes me even more is the tremendous impact his death has had on thousands and dare I say millions? I am convinced DA GRIN would have been stunned to know how deeply he connected with the many who had the privilege of hearing his work. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Week and month of April! I interrupt our coverage of various forms of music contracts to answer some of your NotJustOk.com basic music questions.

Artist-Manager Question

“I saw your post, I am from celebregion.com. (Two) 2 artistes are begging me now from Nigeria to start managing them when I get back home and they don’t even have money to record a mixtape not to talk of a proper track. They are depending on me to finance their career so we sort it out at the end of the day. How do I do that?
~Olumuyiwa Elegbede”

Dear Olumuyiwa,

First ask and answer the following questions: “Are these artists worth such major investment? Will I get a return on my investment? What are they really asking me for i.e. advancements, financing of their recording costs, production of their videos, tour support, marketing, promotions? Everything? Research their work ethics, emotional maturity, character and track record, so far. Finally ask yourself and answer honestly, do I have the experience and connections to manage these artists? If you’ve done your research and all checks out, then expect to recoup all of your upfront investment and any additional monies from album sales, tours, record royalty fees, licensing, merchandizing etc.

The critical thing to understand is that you need to be pretty sure and do your homework before you make any investment in these artists. Do the math. You don’t want to end up with no return on investments and worse, huge debt.

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What’s good NotJusOk.com readers?! In this article, I conclude the two part series on “How to Negotiate an Artist-Manager Contract.” This time, the focus is on the artist negotiating the Artist-Manager (music manager) contract. Artists, beyond making sure your manager has experience, solid negotiation skills (critical), a strong network, is relevant in the industry and can deliver, here are a few things to note when negotiating any kind of Artist-Manager contract:

Be careful who you get in bed with:” See my Artist-Manager (The Manager)  article for an analysis on this point. The Artist-Manager relationship is a very intimate one, almost like a marriage. Make sure your values and personalities align and are compatible.

Know Yourself & Have a Vision for your Career: Artist, before you sign an Artist-Manager contract, make sure you truly know yourself as a personal brand and as a business. What is your vision for yourself as an artist? What are your values? How much are you willingly to compromise to be successful? Communicate your vision and personal brand/values to your manager and be clear on how he intends to create added value to you as a brand and how he will communicate this added value to the world. Read the rest of this entry »

By far the most common relationship present in Nigeria’s (Naija) music industry is the Artist-Manager relationship. Only a handful of artists are signed to record labels but when it comes to managers, almost all artists seem to have managers. Indeed it is not uncommon to hear artists say, “talk to my manager” or showoff that they have managers. Because this relationship is so prevalent, it only makes sense I lead off my review of the numerous kinds of music contracts with the Artist-Manager contract.

I cover both perspectives and how to negotiate regardless of what hats you wear. Lets go “dia” with another round of “Ask Ms. Uduak on NotJuskOK.com!”

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