A rising star in the Nigerian music industry, Paul Play, has recently opened up about the challenges he faces as an independent artist. In a recent interview, the RnB artiste and music producer revealed the challenges he faces, including the unavailability of some of his tracks on streaming platforms. He explained that the nature of the deal he had with his former label, Kennis Music, made it impossible to upload the songs.
Since leaving Kennis Music, Paul Play has also raised the issue of uncollected royalties. Although he did not divulge details of the issues, he noted that some parties are reluctant to enter into discussions to resolve the issues.
The artiste also addressed the issue of artistes using his music without permission. He recalled how he sued MTN after the company used his music in an advertisement without his consent. Unfortunately, he has been subjected to insults and accusations from his side, including being broke and wanting to stop the younger generation from succeeding, following this trial.
Paul Play highlighted the inadequacy of intellectual property laws in Nigeria, noting that his songs such as ‘Forever’, ‘Angel of My Life’ and ‘Mosorire’ have been sampled several times without his permission.
Without naming the culprits, he revealed that his song was sampled by Blaqbonez in ‘Loyalty’, off the album ‘Young Preacher’, which was removed from streaming platforms for copyright infringement. Most recently, his song ‘Mosorire’ was interpolated by Olamide in ‘Morowore’, off his latest project ‘Ikigai’.
These revelations by Paul Play shed light on the challenges and obstacles that independent artists face in the music industry, especially in protecting their copyrights and regularizing their royalties. It also raises the issue of awareness and enforcement of intellectual property laws, not only in Nigeria, but also in other countries, to ensure that the rights of artists are protected and respected. This underscores the importance of recognizing and valuing the work of music creators and taking steps to ensure fair remuneration and legal use of their art.