[dropcap]A[/dropcap] record deal with a big label is something many musicians the world over would die for, but not for our own Eddy Kenzo who turned down an offer to join superstar Akon’s Konvict Muzik. It looks like he was really serious when he sang Sitya Loss.
Akon’s label made Lady Gaga a worldwide phenomenon. Other stars on the label include T-Pain, Kat Deluna and French Montana. Last year, he embarked on a plan to make African artistes worldwide stars because he has his roots in Senegal. He signed Nigeria’s P-Square to his label and helped them land ground breaking collabos with the likes of Rick Ross and T.I. Other African stars on Akon’s label include Wiz Kid and Tu Face.
Akon who performed with P-Square in Uganda in May 2008 met Kenzo at the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in Equatorial Guniea in mid January and offered him a record deal. Kenzo’s Sitya Loss hit was a phenomenon that was shared by stars like P.Diddy, so Akon knew he was making a big signing.
“I was excited about joining Akon’s label and was about to sign, but one of my young boys at Big Talent told me to give the contract to a lawyer first,” Kenzo told Daily Monitor’s Sqoop magazine in an interview that was published today.
“When I took it to a lawyer, we found a clause that requires me to be exclusively under Konvict Music where they will do all my audio and video recordings plus music distribution. That’s the part that stopped me from signing because I don’t want to be under someone. I want to do my own audios and videos so that my creativity is not limited,” Kenzo said.
Asked if he would sign with Konvict if the clause in the contract was adjusted, surprisingly, Kenzo still said no, “I don’t think so. Kenzo is already big. What record labels do is to bring up an artiste. I am no longer an upcoming so it is not necessary to be under any record label. I think I am my own record label,” he said.
Kenzo is nominated in the BET Awards in the Best New International Act Viewers’ Choice Awards. Click here to vote for him. The winner will be announced on June 30th, during the broadcasting of the awards.