Tiwa Savage is the first lady of Mavin Records; she recently signed a management contract with Jay Z’s Roc Nation in the presence of Supreme Mavin Records CEO Don Jazzy
Her fans are scared that her singing on to a foreign label might affect the kind of music she does and thus losing her fan base. She was also reminded that such a deal caused the downfall of Mo’hits records years back. She explained all to Premium Times in an exclusive interview. Excerpts…. On how she handled the Teebillz drama: TS: It’s been and I think I have been able to pull through by simply immersing myself in my work.On how she deals with the sensational stories written about her: TS: Generally
speaking all that has been written about me doesn’t really affect me anymore. When I got into the industry initially, it was very difficult for anybody to realise this. But now, I have come to the realisation that the hard work you put in and the positive things that you do as an artiste always outweighs the negative. Whether you’re in the media, a banker or a nurse, you’re going to have people talk about you. Not everyone loves Jesus Christ so who am I to talk about people saying things about me? You can’t make everyone happy. I don’t try to waste time on people that don’t love me, so I just spend time with people that love me so I don’t disappoint them.Jay Z, Tiwa Savage and Don Jazzy On her most embarrassing moments: TS: I don’t really think that I have had embarrassing moments like that. But I did have one recently while performing on the stage; where my cloth ripped off. I grew up around boys and my brothers teased me a lot. So, I am used to people making fun about me. I don’t take life too seriously and also, Mavin Records comprises of men; Di’ja and I are the only females. My male colleagues are all fun to be around. So when something embarrassing happens, I just take it laugh off and never take it to heart.
TS: The next stage is how to work and break into the international market. I definitely don’t want to forget my Nigerian roots. I think that when you sign international deal, there is this tendency to forget home. We artistes also tend to forget that the main reason they signed you is because you were doing very well at home, so you can’t forget that. So, I am basically just trying to strike a balance with both audience and market. My dream is to grow the Tiwa Savage brand at home and abroad. On how she got the Roc Nation deal: TS: There’s a guy called Briant “Bee-High” Biggs; he is Jay Z’s cousin. He also doubles as Roc Nation’s current director of mobile strategies. He had been visiting Nigeria for few months to scout for fresh talents in Africa. The aim was to get these artistes and Jay Z’s label into the global market. I guess Brian had been monitoring my music and my career through the years before deciding to go with me. I guess he went with me because I am female while his other partners/remaining scouts were getting male artists. He wanted to strike a deal with a female artiste because the biggest artistes in America like Rihanna and Adele are all females. So, he really believes that there is a market for talented female artistes.
If breaking into the international market caused the rift in Mo’hits: TS: Oh no. I really don’t think the international deal is what broke up Mo’hits and I don’t really think any of us can actually talk about that issue. This is because only the two of them-Don Jazzy and D’banj, really know what happened. But mine is a blessing and I am not going to allow what happened in the past affect me. READ ALSO: Who is the finest between the two divas? On how she felt when she met Jay Z: TS: It was an incredible feeling but when you meet with him, you will realize that he is human after all. He was very chilled, very relaxed and he made us feel comfortable. It happened so fast that I didn’t have time to really feel nervous. He spoke a lot about his experience and shared a lot of wisdom. Meeting him is such a great achievement but the work really starts now so we can really prove to the world that the partnership is successful. Is she happy? TS: Of course I am very happy and I am blessed; I have a loving family, my career is getting stronger by the day. I recently signed an international deal so why won’t I be happy?
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