Divisions Chocolate City Group CEO M.I (1 Jul 2015–) Headquarters Lagos, Nigeria | Website Official website Founded 2005 Parent organization Chocolate City Group | |
Industry Entertainment Media Music Key people Hakeem Belo Osagie: Chairman
Audu Maikori: Founder and President
M.I: CEO
Ice Prince: Vice President Music Founders Audu Maikori, Yahaya Maikori Profiles | ||
Chocolate City is a Nigerian record label founded in 2005 by lawyer Audu Maikori along with Paul Okeugo and Yahaya Maikori. Generally regarded the biggest and most successful indigenous urban record labels in Africa, Chocolate City Music operates as a subsidiary of Chocolate City Group, one of the biggest entertainment conglomerates in Africa. Other arms of the group are Chocolate City Distribution, Chocolate City Events, Stem Marketing and Chocolate City Media
Contents
The label is home to recording artists such as M.I, Femi Kuti, Ice Prince, DJ Caise, Pryse, Nosa, Jesse Jagz, Victoria Kimani, Dice Ailes, Koker, Ruby Gyang, DJ Lambo, Loose Kaynon, Kahli Abdu & VHS Safari. Artists formerly signed to the label include Jeremiah Gyang, Brymo and Jesse Jagz. Chocolate City Music has also worked on the careers of artistes such as Djinee and Asa. In 2012, business mogul and philanthropist Hakeem Bello-Osagie joined the board of Chocolate City Group as its Chairman. In 2015 artist M.I became chocolate city's president which saw the return of his brother Jesse Jagz.
History
Founded as a nightclub in 1997, Chocolate City quickly became the number one promotions outfit in the Northern part of Nigeria and moved into the industry mainstream in 2005 with the launch of the record label (Chocolate City Music). In 2001, Audu Maikori founded the Guild of Artistes and Poets with Paul Okeugo which was called an "arts appreciation society" which held weekly meetings which focused on the arts, music, poetry and creativity as a means of youth engagement and empowerment.
Under the leadership of MI, Chocolate City had its first ever press conference where every artistes were present to answer questions from members of the press. The press conference was planned to be on a monthly basis but it only had been held once
G.A.P
The G.A.P later became one of the new age art renaissance movements which quickly gained membership in Jos, Abuja, and Lagos with a combined membership of over 3000 attendees at its peak. The GAP brought to light the need for artists to have better representation which Audu gave in form of pro bono legal services and this eventually led to his registering Chocolate CIty with his bonus earnings from his job as a lawyer with the chambers of Afe Babalola and co. The first act to be signed on the Chocolate City label was multi talented instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and producer Jeremiah Gyang (whose debut album Na BA KA sold over 4 Million copies and won numerous accolades and acclaim for the artist as well as the label).
Na Ba Ka was known for its instrumentals which was studied by a Canadian University on Sound Engineering and Production and was even listed on the top ten charts in Israel between 2005 and 2006.
Chocolate City went on to discover and manage the careers of Djinee, M.I, Aṣa, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Brymo and other artists who have won over 70 awards both locally and internationally.
Chocolate City has sold over 35 thousand albums since 2005 quickly establishing it self as one of the biggest record labels in Africa.
In June 2007, Audu Maikori won the British award the International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) by the British Council, making Nigeria the first country to win two global awards in the Young Creative Entrepreneurs Series (the first was Lanre Lawal (IYDEY) 2005), after beating nine countries including the Philippines, Latvia, Lithuania, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Egypt and Poland.
Accolades
Chocolate City was the first Nigerian music company to attain a global music award and recognition by the British Council in 2007: International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) 2007.
Chocolate City has since worked closely with the federal government of Nigeria as well as several international organisations such as the British Council in promoting the creative industries as well as capacity-building projects in and around Nigeria. In April 2008, Chocolate City announced a major collaborative effort in partnership with the British Council and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to take a delegation of Nigerian music stakeholders to London Calling 2008 in a bid to open new vistas for the fast-growing Nigerian music industry currently valued at around $500 Million (2007). The 40 man delegation was led by the Minister of Culture and Tourism.
Chocolate City has also been active in the promotion of the Creative industries globally having participated in several workshops and initiatives. In January 2008, Chocolate City delivered a keynote address on a workshop tagged "Mapping the Creative Industries in Albania" organised by the British Council, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Economy, Albania. The workshop was aimed at sharing experiences of creative entrepreneurs from around Europe, the UK and Nigeria.
Reuters International produced a documentary on the Chocolate City success story tagged "Music and Money" in recognition of its contributions to the development of the Nigerian music industry.
Over the years, Chocolate City has set up partnerships with many international and regional creative industry organizations, with affiliates in South Africa, U.K and the USA, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the British Council toward promoting and celebrating creativity in Nigeria.
On 8 December 2011, parent company Chocolate City Group won the African Awards for Entrepreneurship, beating over 3,300 applicants from 48 countries in Africa to clinch the runner-up prize, thereby making history as the first entertainment company to win the prize since 2007.
Chocolate City won the "Best Record Label of the Year" award at the 2013 City People Entertainment Awards. At the 2011 edition of the aforementioned awards, the record label won the "Record Label of the Year" award.
In April 2015 Maikori stepped down, after 10 years of piloting the affairs of the label and appointed M.I to takeover as the CEO of Chocolate City Music label while Ice Prince became the Vice President of Music for the Label
Awards and nominations
Bring the Noise Project
M.I (Jude Abaga) represented Nigeria on a 12-country tour of the United Kingdom and Africa from 2007 to 2008.