Hours after Crayon publicly criticized his former label boss Don Jazzy and Mavins Records, Nigerian singer and producer Samklef weighed in, sharing his own perspective on the situation.
Crayon, who joined Mavins Records in 2019, had accused Don Jazzy of mismanagement, unpaid royalties, and even blamed him for personal hardships. In a series of now-deleted posts, he claimed the music executive collected $200 million without giving him a share and alleged that delayed payments were being used to harm him. He concluded with a vow to “bring the label down” while praying for justice.
Reacting to the controversy, Samklef suggested that Don Jazzy’s partnership with social media activist Very Dark Man had negatively affected the careers of his signed artists. He noted that since that collaboration, many of Mavins’ artists, including Ayra Starr, appeared to struggle creatively and commercially.
“I tell una say Jazzy go cast soon! Ever since Don Jazzy met a very dark man, all the signed artists no gree blow. Ayra Starr looked stressed in her last video. Something is not right. Could this be karma?” Samklef wrote. He also hinted that artists tend to perform better once they leave his mentorship, reinforcing his point about the challenges faced under Don Jazzy’s leadership.
This isn’t the first time Nigerian artists have publicly raised concerns about unpaid royalties. Last year, Big Brother Naija winner Laycon called out DJ Neptune over the remix of their hit song “Nobody,” claiming he hadn’t received royalties even after four years. Similarly, Harrysong spoke out against Kcee in December 2023, alleging unpaid royalties and unreleased songs, recounting a period during his seven years working with Kcee when he struggled financially and lacked even basic comforts while supporting Kcee’s career.
Upcoming music producer Napji also stirred controversy by claiming he wasn’t paid royalties for producing hit songs like “Fem,” “Jowo,” and “Sunlight” on Davido’s album A Better Time, despite receiving a small advance for each track. Napji threatened to release further details and called on the public to tag Davido, who responded briefly with “Your papa.”
The recurring disputes highlight an ongoing tension in the Nigerian music industry, where issues of royalties, contracts, and artist management continue to spark public debates. Both Samklef and Crayon’s comments add another layer to the discussion, drawing attention to how industry relationships and business practices affect artist careers.
