International Afrobeats icon Tiwa Savage has issued an eye-opening piece of industry advice to emerging musical talents, asserting that the specific record label an artist chooses to align with directly determines their mental health and emotional stability.
Speaking candidly during a guest appearance on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by media personality Joey Akan, the "Water & Garri" star confessed that she heavily underestimated the structural and emotional value of her previous management ecosystem until she exited the camp.
Tiwa explained that during her historic tenure at Mavin Records, she enjoyed a tight-knit, familial network that served as a psychological shield whenever toxic media firestorms or viral controversies erupted on the internet.
Savage revealed that she could easily seek refuge in the personal quarters of label executive Don Jazzy, where she would openly decompress alongside fellow signees to process the immense weights of digital celebrity culture.
In stark contrast, she noted that corporate foreign labels strictly view operations through a commercial lens, offering zero room for personal or emotional expression in the workplace.
Reflecting on the psychological contrast, Tiwa Savage stated:
“Who you signed to is very important and I didn’t appreciate it until after I left Mavin. Whenever there’s a controversy online I’d run to Don Jazzy’s room, sit on the floor or bed with other Mavin acts and we would talk about it.
I would cry if I had to cry and we would get through it. But being with a [foreign] label, they don’t really care about your personal stuff. So, I can’t really go to the office and cry. I miss that part of it.”
The veteran songstress originally joined the star-studded ranks of Mavin Records in 2012, cementing her status as the label's dominant leading lady during a golden era of contemporary African pop.
She eventually departed the powerhouse in 2019 to ink a highly publicized international recording contract with Universal Music Group (UMG).
Her latest reflections serve as a crucial cautionary tale for young Nigerian creatives rushing toward foreign distribution deals without factoring in the crucial need for a local emotional support system.
#TiwaSavage #MavinRecords #DonJazzy #AfrobeatsIntelligence #JoeyAkan #UniversalMusicGroup #MentalHealthInMusic #AfrobeatsNews
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