Ghanaian artist, Trigmatic has revealed how he managed to get his music on rotation across radio stations at the beginning of his music career.
He noted that he usually bought items to show appreciation to radio presenters who supported his music.
“Me I was a hard guy. Hard guy in my mind. So whenever we recorded, I was the guy that got my song on the radio. At the time payola wasn’t a thing but it was there. You could give things like fried rice.”
Trigmatic
Asked if he also gave fried rice as payola, he replied in the affirmative.
“Oh yeah, just to say ‘thank you’. You know, giving a box of fried rice or chicken and chips was a big deal.”
Trigmatic
Trigmatic is celebrating 15 years of officially stepping the threshold of the music industry and has also released a book on leadership, titled ‘A Lion’s Aide.’
With five albums to his credit, he is known for songs such as ‘My Jolley’, ‘Mefri Ghana’, ‘Agyei’, ‘Where We Dey Go’, and ‘Gye Nyame’.
Trigmatic Recounts Escaping From Record Label Deal
The Ghanaian artist recounted how he escaped a deal from a record label in the United Kingdom at the nascent stage of his career.
According to him, the label promised glamour but upon consultations, he realized the deal would have cost him ownership of the masters to his debut album ‘Permanent Stains.’
Trigmatic noted that some record label deals can be limiting to an artist’s craft and career, but the onus lies with the artist to weigh options and decide what to do when such offers come.
“I had an offer. They actually flew me to check their studios in the UK. I will never forget. And at the time, ‘My Life’ was big. Before they tried to sign me I was chasing them because they had a very big artist globally and they were always coming to Ghana.”
Trigmatic
According to Trigmatic, because they used to frequent Ghana, he had an interest in working with them.
“I wanted to get in touch with their A&R who also worked with Julian Marley. Then eventually I released ‘My Life.’ So when they came, another year with a very big artiste to perform in Ghana, I think I was headlining that particular event.
“So the guy was shocked about how I had become so big within a year. They wanted us to talk about the conversation I brought up earlier about working with them.”
Trigmatic
He said when he went to their office in the UK, they showed him the cars and studios.
“They sent a contract and I remember I just met my lawyer. When I got the contract, I would have signed [if I didn’t have a lawyer] because at the time I was having issues with my former manager Godfred. And they wanted me to relocate.
“On the label, they had one very big female musician in the world and then they had one very big male musician whose origin was Ghana. So I knew that if I joined that label, internationally, I was gone.”
Trigmatic
He said he had even signed the deal in his head but he decided to send the contract to his lawyer to go through: “That is where he showed me the holes in the contract, how long I would have been there for, and some of the things I would have gone through,” he said.
Trigmatic mentioned that because he wasn’t happy with his lawyer’s advice, he did not talk to him for about a year and a half because he thought his lawyer had spoilt his opportunity.
“But now when I look back and I look at some of those artists who were signed to the label, I think sometimes we don’t have to rush. Sometimes it is not about the glam.”
Trigmatic
The ‘Motromodwo’ hitmaker, however, stated that the deal could have been good probably because their distribution network we larger.
“But would I have still been there after 15 years, 10 years after? The same way they shelved other people I am sure they would have done to me. Because how they have moved to other artists.”
Trigmatic
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