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Chocolate City pledges $1m to creatives to mark 20th anniversary

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3 months ago

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To commemorate its 20th anniversary, Chocolate City, the Nigerian music label, has pledged a $1 million empowerment fund to support creatives.

In an interview with Arise TV, Paul Okeugo and Audu Maikori, the music label founders, reflected on their journey, citing financial struggles and limited investment in the creative industry when they established Chocolate City.

“It’s part of our 20 year celebration, I mean, this year, we are 20 years in business as most people know. It’s been an interesting journey,” Okeugo said.

“We recall that when we started, there weren’t many people who were looking to invest in creative industry.

“In fact, it was so nascent that at the time, when you started a business in the creative industry, it was like you’re taking a big risk, it was a punt, it was like, why don’t you do something more stable like law, medicine.

“So, we took a risk, and it was hard to get funding most times, and so we had to take jobs that we didn’t want to fund the business, we had to do that.

“We didn’t get any support until maybe three or four years into our business when we got some support from a media network.

“I think it was in Kenya, I don’t remember the year, but we got $50,000 at that time to help us and that really made a big difference to us at the time. So we thought what better way, sort of, to give back.”

On his part, Maikori revealed that 50% of the fund will be allocated to female entrepreneurs and artistes, emphasizing the importance of leveling the playing field.

“One thing that’s unique about the fund is that 50% is going to female entrepreneurs, and I think that’s crucial,” he said.

“It seems like it’s amazing, but it should be the standard, and the simple reason is that sometimes when you’re in the marketplace and there’s no equality, what you do is try and level the playing field.

“And you know that with women, it’s a bit harder to go into business, access to funding. We’ve heard stories of women being harassed because they want to do something amazing, and we think that women are the bedrock of any nation.

“The idea is that we’re going to grow the fund over time. We’re starting off in Nigeria, we’re going to spread to Africa over time. Because right now, our culture is a global phenomenon.

“It’s our food, it’s our fashion, it’s our swag. So the idea then is that we’re dealing in a global economy, so we cannot just keep it local.

“We’re focusing mainly on film, on music, on content creation, and also gaming/e-sports.

“And the reason why is that these are very skillable businesses and verticals. But the other reason why is that we think that the creative economy has the most promise in the short term for gainful employment for young people.”

Chocolate City, founded in 2005, has been home to notable artistes such as M.I Abaga, Nosa, Dice Ailes, Blaqbonez, CKay, Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, and DJ Lambo.

The label’s signees recently released a joint single ‘Chocolate City Cypher’ to mark the 20th anniversary.

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N5m reward offered to whoever finds Wizkid’s missing phone

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5 hours ago

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December 23, 2024 1:57 pm

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A N5 million reward has been offered to anyone who helps recover Wizkid‘s missing phone.

The phone went missing on Saturday during the singer’s surprise performance at the Nativeland concert at Sol Beach in Elegushi, Lagos.

In a viral video from the concert, DJ Tunez took to the stage to announce the missing phone.

He said Wizkid’s phone dropped during his performance. He also offered a N5 million reward to anyone who finds it.

“When my brother Wizkid was performing, he dropped his cell phone. Anybody that finds Wizkid’s cell phone, N5 million. It is my boss’ cell phone, if anybody finds it, bring it to me. N5 million,” he said.

https://twitter.com/DigiMillennials/status/1870893331024097335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1870893331024097335%7Ctwgr%5E152da7d8daa3107ca1528fb2c86fd9e40dd11d90%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flifestyle.thecable.ng%2Fwizkid-loses-phone%2F

He also shared the announcement on his X page with the caption: “I’m gooooooooooood! Please if you find Machala’s phone hit me up! Thank you!”

https://twitter.com/DJ_TUNEZ/status/1870941930970079541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1870941930970079541%7Ctwgr%5E152da7d8daa3107ca1528fb2c86fd9e40dd11d90%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flifestyle.thecable.ng%2Fwizkid-loses-phone%2F

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Speed Darlington gets bail after one month in detention

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6 hours ago

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December 23, 2024 1:10 pm

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Speed Darlington, the Nigerian rapper, has been granted bail after nearly a month in police custody.

The rapper was arrested on November 27 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo state.

Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, had alleged that Burna Boy, the Afrofusion star, was responsible for the rapper’s arrest.

Darlington had taunted Burna Boy over his affiliation with the embattled US rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ who is facing multiple charges for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

He asked Burna Boy to explain how he won the Grammy award for his album ‘Twice As Tall’ — a project executive produced by Diddy. He claimed there was a sexual relationship between the duo.

Stan Alieke, the legal representative of Darlington, earlier revealed that weeks after the rapper’s arrest, the police had denied him access to bail.

The lawyer also called on the law enforcement agency not to “trample on my client’s constitutional rights”.

But in an Instagram post on Monday, Alieke disclosed that his client had been granted bail.

“Apki has been granted bail by the court,” he wrote without including much information.

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Spotify names Burna Boy as the most exported Nigerian artist of 2024

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2 days ago

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December 21, 2024 3:11 pm

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Spotify has released the data for the most streamed artists outside Nigeria in 2024.

On the list shared by Spotify, Grammy winner Burna Boy is the Nigerian artist with the most streams outside Nigeria. For the past couple of years, the hitmaker has been at the forefront of exporting Nigerian music globally.

Burna Boy’s feat is a testament to his global popularity which has made him the only African artist with 3 albums surpassing over 500 million streams.

Second on the list is Grammy-nominated star Ayra Starr who enjoyed a good year thanks to the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album ‘The Year I Turned 21’ which enjoyed critical and commercial success.

The album features a star-studded lineup that includes Asake, Seyi Vibez, American singer Giveon and Coco Jones, and Brazilian star Aniita.

Rema is the third most exported Nigerian artist of 2024. His hit single ‘Calm Down’ continues to enjoy global success, especially in the United States where it became the first African song to garner 1 billion streams.

This year, Rema released his sophomore LP ‘HEIS’ which is one of the most talked about albums of 2024. The album buoyed by its upper tempo arrangement, pulsating production, and aggressive chest thumping delivered the bit records ‘Ozeba’, ‘Hehehe’, and ‘Azaman’.

Tems (4) and Omah Lay (5) rounds off the top 5. Grammy winner Tems enjoyed a successful year on the global front with the release of her debut album ‘Born In The Wild’ which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Global Album.

Top 10 exported Nigerian Artists on Spotify in 2024

1. Burna Boy
2. Ayra Starr
3. Rema
4. Tems
5. Omah Lay
6. Asake
7. Wizkid 
8. Davido
9. Fireboy
10. Victony

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