Quick Questions with Aibee Abidoye
There’s a new super hero in town! She’s dogged, quite aggressive and unafraid to stand up to anyone in the way of her achieving her goals!
If you were a city in Nigeria which would you be and why?
Ikoyi because I’m an introvert who likes to be close to things that are happening and Ikoyi is hidden and quiet but close to where all the action happens.
Top three appliances you use in the morning?
My phone, my rechargeable fan and my electric toothbrush
We are creating a comic book about the superhero of the African music industry, describe your superpower as a music executive and tell us your superhero name
I would be a character that is quite aggressive and dogged. My super power would be keeping at a thing till I get the desired goal, regardless of who or what the obstacle is. I can’t come up with a name so I’m open to suggestions …
What’s your favourite part of working at Chocolate City?
Actualising the vision & seeing what we are working on coming to life. Seeing us grow from being a small label to now having an agency and putting together our publishing agency. Seeing the development with Candy Bleakz, executing the Love Nwantiti project, watching the growth with Blaq Bonez and Yung Jon. Seeing my colleagues develop their skills. Being a part of our bloom as a label is my favourite part of working with Chocolate City.
What is something that occurs regularly in the Nigerian music industry that needs to stop and why?
We need to share more, there’s space for everyone. People act like if they share you will take their quota but I think it makes the industry as a whole bigger, better and makes people want to invest in it. I also think there needs to be a policy regulating the number of shares international companies and labels can have when there is a partnership with local labels and companies so we don’t have a case where our sound recording is being exported out and not owned by Nigerians.
Can you please tell us in no particular order your top 5 Women in the African Music industry?
Titi Adesanya, Rima at Mavin, Deola Art Alade(in the event space), Candy Bleakz, & Yemi Alade.
Tell us about your must recent project for women in the Music Business?
Nahla (my baby). It started during the pandemic in 2021, and its first program was put together in 2022. Our focus is building more female producers, songwriters and engineers between the ages of 18-35, to increase female representation in the space, create safer spaces for women that may have experienced abuse working with men and increase the diversity of creative experience produced in the industry. At the heart of our work is showing women that it is possible to have a successful career in the music industry.
As a music Executive what top three things should a songwriter do to be more visible?
- Short videos of yourself on IG (promoting what your do)
- Posting videos of what you’ve done in the past
- Pitching yourself using an electronic press kit.
What is the role of Record Labels in the development of the African Music Industry and how can they foster more growth within the industry?
The role of a record label should be development, there is something about the framework of a record label that helps artists to be guided. The record label is to protect the artist and monetise the content being created. It’s the role of the label to educate the artist on what they are signing and then create platforms for the artist to make money and live well. Nigerian Record Labels do not need to embody the framework of international labels that can be slightly capitalist in nature, they can create new frameworks, which is something Chocolate city has and still does.
Your name is going in the hall of fame for people who impacted the music industry, what would your quote be?
“It is possible for you to exist and impact”