BETWEEN WIZKID, BANKY W & EME...WHAT WE KNOW

The relationship between Nigerian pop star, Ayo Wizkid Balogun and his record label, Empire Mates Entertainment, E.M.E. may have gone up in flames or whatever is left of it is a ticking time bomb.

We reported on February 1 disturbing tweets from Wizkid that suggested trouble at the home front and although the details are vague, it seems clear that Wizkid and EME executives Banky W and Segun Demuren are not in good terms.

The next day, Wizkid followed his previous day’s tweet by a retweet that was just the right ingredient to send rumours bubbling over:

The speculations have been months running. People believed it was a bit odd when Wizkid fired his manager Osagie Osarenkhoeand hired long-time friend Godwin Tom in September 2012. Godwin Tom, we learn had been pitching Wizkid to several labels since 2007 before Osarenhkoe came into the picture and introduced him to EME, the label that groomed him and push his career to the very top.

According to reports, EME were not pleased that Osarenkhoe was fired but allowed Wizkid anyway. The label retained Osarenkhoe to manage EME’s other acts; Skales, Niyola, and Shaydee.

After that, Wizkid went on to sign an international management deal with UK based Disturbing London, run by rapper Tinie Tempah, he has been in England for weeks now working in the studio.

From an outsider’s point of view, these moves were very suspicious and the when news that Wizkid had also moved out of the EME ‘mansion’ in Lagos and acquired his own home in Lekki Phase 1, shortly after he bought his BMW X6 auto-mobile late last year, the distance became glaring; the core of the squad had detached himself from unit.

According to reports, Wizkid would turn up late to public appearances and Banky would spend the whole time apologizing. ‘They would always come separate to any gig. It looked like Wizzy and Godwin had formed their own team and didn’t need them Banky anymore‘, an inside source told this newspaper, Saturday.

It also showed emotionally; Wizkid was not seen at most of the rehearsals for their concert in December. He appeared at the later stage and rarely talked with the crew. ‘But they all tried to suppress what was going on; only the in-house team knew the whole truth‘.

Banky W also said in an interview that Wizkid was not leaving the label and that rumours of his departure were false.

But his words went out the window the moment fans read on as Wizkid soon after Banky’s reassurance updated his Twitter profile, removing ‘EME/Konvict’ and replacing it with his management’s contacts.

Although, Wizkid has a lot of fans who support him, some people are of the opinion that ‘the problem is that he thinks he’s grown too big for the label and he’s suddenly forgotten where he’s coming from and the many sacrifices Osagie and Banky especially had to make to help him grow‘.

On February 15, Banky W is scheduled to have a music concert and people can’t wait to see if Wizkid will make an appearance and prove it’s all water under the bridge.