Tag: Burna Boy

A major legal dispute has emerged over the ownership of Burna Boy’s early musical catalogue, setting his former record label against his current management in a case involving allegations of fraud and corporate misconduct. The controversy centres on a transaction allegedly concluded in May/June 2024, which has now sparked both criminal investigations and multiple lawsuits at the Federal High Courts in Lagos and Port Harcourt. According to reports, Aristokrat Music—the label that introduced Burna Boy to the music scene in 2011—allegedly sold the singer’s historical intellectual property (IP) and master recordings to his current label, Spaceship Music, an imprint led by Burna Boy and his mother, Bose Ogulu. However, 960 Music Group, which owns a 40 per cent equity stake in Aristokrat Music, has strongly opposed the transaction, describing it as illegal. The company has approached a Port Harcourt court seeking an order declaring the sale null and void. 960 Music argues that as a major shareholder, the sale of what it described as the label’s “crown jewel” assets was carried out without its knowledge, consent, or board approval, in violation of corporate governance principles. Beyond the civil dispute, the matter has escalated into a criminal case. The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has filed charges against Piriye Isokrari, founder of Aristokrat Records, following an investigation into allegations raised by 960 Music. Isokrari is accused of fraudulent conversion, with claims that he diverted proceeds from the alleged multi-million-dollar sale for personal use or channelled them outside the company’s official accounts. He is also accused of breach of fiduciary duty, with 960 Music alleging that he struck a “private deal” with Spaceship Music while sidelining the interests of its partners. An unnamed executive at 960 Music said the company had no option but to involve law enforcement. “You cannot sell 100 per cent of an asset when you only have the authority to manage the company, not bypass the owners of 40 per cent of its soul. This was a coordinated effort to move the IP under the radar, and we are asking the court to bring those assets back,” the executive reportedly said. The dispute poses significant legal and commercial implications for Burna Boy, a Grammy Award winner for Best Global Music Album in 2021. While the 2024 deal was likely aimed at giving the artist full control over his early masters—a common objective among global stars—the alleged procedural lapses by Aristokrat Music have placed those assets in legal uncertainty. Should the Port Harcourt court rule in favour of 960 Music, Spaceship Music could be compelled to relinquish rights to some of Burna Boy’s early hits, including “Like to Party” and “Tonight,” returning them to the original stakeholders.