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Nigerian superstar Davido and Steve Stoute, Founder/CEO of UnitedMasters join Ebro Darden on The Ebro Show on Apple Music 1 to announce their new label Nine+ Records, created in partnership with UnitedMasters. About the partnership, Stoute says, “It really is about great quality artists, not only from the region, but great music from around the world. So, I’m really happy to be a partner with him. I see how he moves. And a lot of it, as you know, is you got to work with people that you actually want to work with, that you want to speak to.”
Davido also discusses his long road to success, his love for Amapiano music, and teases an upcoming collaboration with Chris Brown.
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Davido talks to Apple Music about the creation of Nine+ Records
I mean, you’ve known me for a long time now, and everybody knows I love nurturing artists, new acts, and just supporting any way I can. And I feel like that’s one of the things that has lasted me so long because I’ve helped so many artists grow, and you never know what you might learn from an artist. I signed an artist that wrote four hits for me, and those hits changed my life. So, I’ve always been there to want to have a platform to grow them. But it got to a point where Afrobeats has gotten into a level now where we need hands. That’s why Big Poppa come in here. So, when I first met Steve, it was never any conversation about even us even trying to work together. It was just meeting up… I remember when I got signed in 2015, I didn’t have no Steve Stoute to advise me. But now these new acts have people like me that can tell them like, look, I’ve made this mistake. Let’s do it this way.
Steve Stoute tells Apple Music about his partnership with Davido on Nine+ Records
There’s 200,000 songs being uploaded a day. Okay, that’s all over Apple Music and Spotify and whatever. So, what happens is you need somebody to curate good versus great. And partnering with Davido and his label Nine+ and that joint venture, for us at UnitedMasters, it really is about great quality artists, not only from the region, but great music from around the world. He’s a global act, bringing that through and shepherding that through our system. So, I’m really happy to be a partner with him. I see how he moves. And a lot of it, as you know, is you got to work with people that you actually want to work with, that you want to speak to.
And people who want to work. He comes from a bloodline of work, you know what I’m saying? And he’s about his business. So, I just knew from spending time with him prior that his team, he has a great team of people around him, him and I get along. That we could do something great, man. So, I’m really excited about this next step for the company. And we are growing in Africa, starting in Lagos, in Nigeria. We are going to go to South America. We are already in South America doing our thing in Brazil, in Chile. And we have a global company, and it’s exciting.
Steve Stoute tells Apple Music that Afrobeats right now is just like Hip-Hop in the 80s
When I went to Nigeria, what I really felt like it was New York City Hip-Hop 1988. That’s exactly what it felt like. And what I mean by that is there’s a gold rush of artists that are now having an opportunity because of what had happened in prior years with Run-DMC and LL [Cool J] breaking that it starts becoming an opportunity for it to be commercialised, and money starts coming in, and then it starts to go. And when that happens, the good news is there’s a lot more hidden gems that come out that never would’ve got the opportunity. The bad news is there’s a lot of mediocre talent that gets funded by a lot of guys who are just rushing in blind get money. So, the difference between good and great gets blurry, and they both get funded equally.
Davido tells Apple Music that when Amapiano music first came out, he didn’t think it would be successful
I’ve always loved up-tempo music. So, when Amapiano came out, I remember listening, the first time I listened to Amapiano, I was in the club in South Africa, and the beat was playing in the club for five minutes. I told the DJ, “Where’s the vocals at?” He said, “It’s coming.” He said, “This sound is going to blow in two years.” I said, “Man, you bugging. Cap.” Bruh, bruh, go to Nigeria now. Whole hour, one hour in the club. So, I met Focalistic, made that Amapiano record together, went crazy. You know what I’m saying? What I was doing is that anywhere I had a show, you know what I would do? If I landed in Uganda, I’d be like, “Who’s the biggest artist here?” I tap in with the people, who’s the hottest.
Davido tells Apple Music he and Chris Brown are planning an album and tour together
We just became friends. And I feel like this is very important when you’re making music, when you’re actually friends with somebody, everybody wants to put your all into it. We just became cool. I’ll send him records, he’d send me records. And before we knew it, we just had multiple records together. It was nothing that we planned, nothing like that. He took me on tour. Anytime I needed him to look out for me, to come out for me, he does it. So, definitely we are talking about doing a project, and eventually doing a tour.
Steve Stoute Talks To Apple Music About The Feeling He Got When Telling Nigerian Artists To Own Their Masters
Steve Stoute: When I was there, I’m on national television and I’m like speaking to the artists, “Own your masters.” And I realise I’m in Africa saying, “Own your masters.” That blew my… I couldn’t believe. I called my mom. I’m like, “I’m over here, we’re not… Own your masters. Don’t let your masters own you. Don’t do it again.” I had to stop myself because I could have went crazy with that feeling because that was a feeling like, oh, here we go again. There’s a-
Ebro Darden: The colonisers are showing up again.
Steve Stoute: No, no, no, no. There’s a homegrown natural ingredient. There’s something that’s very, very special that’s uniquely here, and everybody’s trying to come in and get it. That looks awfully familiar. Don’t give it to them this time. And I’m saying that in Africa, and that part blew my mind.
