April 21, (THEWILL) – Singer turned politician, Bankole Wellington, otherwise known as Banky W, has claimed that his former protégé, Ayodeji Balogun, aka Wizkid, owed Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), his label, three albums before exiting their music deal.
The music executive spoke on Wizkid’s time under him in a chat with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the media personality.
Wizkid signed a record deal with EME in 2009, releasing Superstar and Ayo, his first and second studio albums respectively.
The singer would exit Banky W’s label and release his third album after inking a deal with RCA Records in 2017.
Banky W said he struck an agreement based on the number of albums and never talked Wizkid out of his exit to avoid animosity.
“There’s no need for us to try and tie him down. It was a five-album deal in the beginning and he had done two solo albums. He still owed three, but he wanted to leave. I don’t want anyone to stay when they want to leave”, he said.
“It will only create resentment. I didn’t try to talk him out of leaving because I could tell that he was ready to do other things.
One thing that has been mostly true in my life and EME with Tunde and Segun, is that most of the people who work with us, when they eventually leave, they’re better than where they were when we found them.
“I think, for me, that’s enough of a testimony to say I did what I could and I couldn’t be happier that they’re out doing better things. I don’t believe in burning bridges. We had an agreement on how to release him.”
In 2017, Banky W and Adesua Etomi had a star-studded wedding ceremony.
Banky W also expressed his disappointment that Wizkid did not show up at his wedding.
“Was I disappointed that he wasn’t at the wedding? I was, but I know he tried because there was a show with a lot of the artists…I think it was One Africa”, he said.
“But he called at the time that he was so sorry.”
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