Ycee’s Deal With Sony Terminated

[Yakub Oloyede]

After their unending disagreement and social media outbursts, Ycee‘s Nigerian management, Tinny Entertainment has released an official statement, putting an end to the license and distribution deal signed between Sony Music Africa and Ycee to help push the artiste’s music globally.

The rift between both parties had been noticed when Ycee went on Twitter last year in August 29th to speak out against Sony Music, calling out Michael Ogwu and what they are doing to African artistes and according to his tweet, Sony is not only ripping off African artistes, they have also almost ruined his career but fortunately for him, that didn’t happen.

On their website today 3rd of February, Tinny Entertainment dropped an official statement, stating that they have terminated the deal signed in October 2016 between Ycee and Sony Music Africa on the grounds that Sony is not beneficial to them as promised.

According to this statement, the letter was dated 5th of December, 2017 and every song of Ycee after then belongs solely to Tinny Entertainment.

Read statement below;

“We would like to state officially that we terminated our contract with SONY through our lawyers, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, by a letter dated 5 December 2017.

Henceforth, we are the sole owners of the copyright in any and all of our music and can exploit our music on any and every platform.

We have realized that it is best to undertake the distribution of our records by ourselves, as a Record Label and that Made in Nigeria across board, is the only way to be above board.”

As a Label, we are pushing out great music this year starting with “Say Bye Bye,” “I Wish” and our YCEE and Bella Collabo EP, “Late Night Vibrations.”

We thank you for the love!

Signed, Tinny

For: Tinny Entertainment

[Yakub Oloyede]

Tinny entertainment through their legal adviser and solicitors has released more detailed statement as regards the label’s termination of Ycee’s distribution deal with Sony Music Africa.

The Statement Reads;

We continue to act as solicitors to Tinny Entertainment (TE or our Client) on whose instructions we herewith respond to your letter dated 07 November 2017, which was a response to our letter of 27 October 2017.

Our Client restates, maintains and adopts all its claims as set out in our letter of 27 October 2017,which in sum is, that your organisation have failed and continues to fail to fulfil its contractual obligations constituting breaches of material obligations under the License Agreement which came into effect on 4 October 2016, between Sony Music Entertainment Africa (Pty) Limited, SM Entertainment West Africa Limited, Sony Music Entertainment East Africa Limited (hereinafter collectively referred to as SONY), and our Client (the Agreement).

Notably, SONY continues to fail in its obligations in relation to Marketing in South Africa in breach of Clause 8 of the Agreement, its obligations in relation to Marketing in Territories outside South Africa contrary to Clauses 10.1 and 1.4.15 of the Agreement and its obligations in respect of Procurement of Live Performances and Payment of Consideration contrary to Clause 8.3 of the Agreement.

We maintain our position in relation to our other heads of claims and respond to your specific statements as follows:

Procurement of Live Performances and Payment of Consideration

This form of marketing is a viable and effective tool in respect of which, SONY has obligations to initiate or facilitate the process. SONY has failed and continues to fail in this regard.

Statements of Account and Payment of Royalties

The statements rendered to date are incomplete. In addition, SONY has not exhibited the level of transparency and accountability provided for and expected under this Agreement.

Marketing in South Africa and Territories outside South Africa

It is our Client’s position that SONY’s efforts and financial advancements do not compensate or cure the losses suffered by TE from lack of earnings of royalties on account of SONY’s failure to effectively market and promote its releases in various parts of the world. The advancement provided by SONY was reimbursement for our Client’s finances expended in promoting and marketing “Link Up” in Nigeria. It is also our Client’s position that it has not prevented SONY from carrying out its obligations neither has it breached the Agreement by independent uploads of its releases.

Yours faithfully,