Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, has explained why he has chosen to remain an independent musician throughout his career, saying he already performs the responsibilities that most record labels provide for artistes.
Speaking in an interview, the award-winning musician revealed that he realised years ago that he had the skills to manage every aspect of his music career without depending on a record label.
According to him, he produces his own instrumentals, mixes and masters his songs, creates promotional artwork and personally uploads his music to digital streaming platforms, including YouTube and Audiomack.
“I found out I was doing everything a record label needed. Producing my own beats, mixing them, mastering them, doing my own flyers, uploading them on YouTube myself and on other stores myself because I’m a tech person, so I learnt all those things,” he said.
Shatta Wale noted that handling his own music production, promotion and distribution has allowed him to earn directly from his craft while building financial stability over the years.
He disclosed that the income generated from his music has enabled him to invest in other ventures, including mobile gaming, where he has also made significant returns.
“I saw it from like 10 years ago that I could run myself properly and make money. I’ve been able to build that, save those monies, even venture into playing games on my phone and winning bigger money with the same money. So I’ve flipped the money,” he stated.
The dancehall star, however, acknowledged that record labels play an important role in helping artistes achieve mainstream success by providing financial support, marketing and industry connections.
Despite those benefits, he advised musicians to understand that record labels invest with the expectation of making substantial profits in return.
“The advantage is that they can push you to become a superstar, but it’s up to you to maintain it. The money they put into you, you have to put it at the back of your mind that they are going to get a lot from you,” he explained.
Shatta Wale further stated that his years of experience in the music industry, coupled with ownership of his music catalogue, have positioned him to negotiate favourable terms should he decide to sign with a record label in the future.
He emphasised that maintaining ownership of his music and master recordings would remain a key condition in any agreement he chooses to enter.
