Last week’s edition of ‘Industry Loop’ in which I interrogated whether one should expose clients who owe you money for work done or not, seems to have inspired many to expose. Albeit only to me, this was inspired by recent events in which Dj KBoz exposed a client for not paying up and for ghosting him after work was done. This said client is a music artist.
As a result of that article, music producers from all over the country reached out to me to share their horror stories. Horror stories of Namibian music artists not holding their end of the bargain. Whatever that bargain looks like. Be it a once-off paying for work done or an agreement about royalty…Namibian music artists seemingly do not keep their word.
I find this exceptionally weird and unbelievably interesting. How on earth do you book a producer, have him work on your song/s for 27 November election type of hours and not pay once the final product has been completed? A common denominator in all of the stories that I am privy to is a lack of communication from artists. A majority of them would just ‘disappear’.
I’m not going to lie…I am bamboozled by these stories. I am so confused at the actual act of disappearing on your producer. Technically, how does that even work? I ask this because if it’s one thing I know about producers, they rarely release songs into a client’s hands without payment.
So, if that’s the case, how does one fathom booking a producer, spending hours in the studio with the producer, putting in all that hard work into a song or songs and being content with not getting the final product? Isn’t not paying your producer more of a flop story than anything else? I don’t get it. Why would you not want to take care of someone who literally is taking care of your product?
Why would you not want to elevate someone that helps you make money? I’d always hear artists arrogantly claim that the end product was their work and not necessarily that of the producer. Well, if that is the case…why not just create on your own? Why rope in a producer?
It makes zero sense. Internationally, the music industry has a profound appreciation for its producers. Not just in a monetary sense, but in terms of status as well. Producers worldwide are treated like royalty. So, if international relations dictate that one should appreciate and elevate your producer, how is that the complete opposite in Namibia?!
Could this be why giants like Elvo and Araffath struggled financially? The very same people they serviced and helped create these gigantic hits were not paying them? The very same people they helped in creating these massive careers did not reciprocate the energy in pushing their statuses and elevating them as equal stakeholders in upholding these careers. Could this be why we do not have a single Namibian music artist breaking into the international market?
When I say international market, I don’t mean performing at festivals that you had to apply for in Europe. When I say international market, I don’t mean paying for international features and not even scoring one international gig as a result of that feature. When I say international market, I mean Tyla, Diamond Platnumz, Wizkid, Sauti Sol etc. Sons and daughters from the African soil who made it big from sheer hard work, talent and professionalism (and paying and elevating their producers).
Could this be why we will not see a Namibian win a BET, Grammy or any of these international awards in our lifetime? The uncanny reality of all of this is…Namibian music artists are the first to throw stones when they’ve been treated unfairly or wronged in one way or the other. It’s crazy to me that they do unto others, the very same thing they detest so much.
Hopefully, this tendency will stay in 2024. Big appreciation for the Namibian music artists who pay and elevate their producers. I will remain hopeful and optimistic that 2025 will be the beginning of a time when Namibian artists actually settle their debt with producers and go a step further by consciously and strategically elevating the men and women who help them create these hits.
Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM
Need an MC? I’m YOUR guy. Hit me up…naobebsekind@gmail.com