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Video: I paid N20 million to be released from my former label – Singer, Bella Shmurda

Nigerian street artiste, Akinbiyi Abiola Ahmed, popularly called Bella Shmurda, has revealed that he paid a huge sum of money to free himself from the contract he signed with his former record label.

CorrectNG reports that the ‘Newborn Fela’ crooner was formerly signed to One World Global Records.

Bella said he paid N20 million to the management so that he could be released to be an independent artiste after spending just a year out of his 3-year contract.

According to the singer, he was being cheated by the label because they equally funded his music projects, but One World took a larger percentage of the earnings.

Speaking on Tea with Taymesan podcast, he explained that he would source for N500k as requested by the label and they in turn would bring N500k for production, promotion and other things that need funding.

However, when money starts coming from shows, streaming, endorsement and other areas, they would take 70 percent and give him 30 percent.

Bella said he was not comfortable with that arrangement so he hired a lawyer and bought himself out of One World Global Records.

Watch the interview below:

Meanwhile, Bella Shmurda earlier said that he begged a law student to help him review the contract for his first record deal.

He revealed that at the time he just got signed he was still a student who could not afford to hire a lawyer.

The singer made this known while having a chat with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Channels TV’s Rubbin Minds programme.

Shmurda explained how he approached a 300 level law student in his school to assist him by reading through the fine print of his record deal.

He, however noted that he did not realise that the guy was clueless about how to handle the matter.

Bella Shmurda said used to smoke weed with the guy on campus and often saw him dressed in the official law students black white outfit, so it was based on that relationship that he called him.

The award-winning musician who now owns Dagbana Republik advised upcoming artistes to always read through whatever contract that’s given to them by any music record.

He said it is 2022 and there is a lot of opportunities available for artistes to explore so there is no need for any of them to rush and sign any deal.