With the advent of the internet, streaming, and now COVID-19 restrictions around live performances, the music industry has changed dramatically in recent times. Fortunately, many still want to support upcoming musicians so they can thrive in this difficult environment. Fortunately for Nigeria, it now has one such champion — Abdulsalam Quadri Opeyemi and his new label, Blinjoe’s Records.
Let’s take a look at how the record level emerged, what it’s achieved so far, and how it could be putting Nigeria on the music map one day soon.
Launched with a noble goal
Abdulsalam Quadri Opeyemi launched his record label after noticing that Nigeria’s music industry was in dire need of being shaken up. Opeyemi had witnessed firsthand how much talent the country was home to, yet many promising artists either got left unnoticed or lacked the resources needed to polish their records and market them to the world.
So, he decided to build an organization that would scout them, provide them with the resources they need, and work with them — all with the eventual goal of world domination.
The label is based in Lagos, Nigeria, but plans to work with talent from across the country in a range of genres; primarily pop, rap, hip hop, and dance hall.
Its team consists of a group of music moguls who are passionate about using their experience and expertise to turn promising new talent into successful artists — and working with them to create world-class productions. With expertise on everything from talent scouting to copyright to coordination, there’s no reason they can’t make it happen.
What makes them special
The music industry is changing, and Blinjoe’s Records doesn’t want to fight against that — it’s embracing the change. How? By helping the artists it works with to establish online presences and run innovative marketing campaigns.
While the internet is often posed as an enemy to musicians for making music too “cheap,” it can also be an artist’s best friend — if used wisely. Social media can make it easier for artists to get discovered and help them build a closer relationship with their audience.
Of course, marketing efforts are only part of the puzzle and not a replacement for great music — but they can certainly provide an excellent springboard. Whether musicians are looking for a viral campaign that gets people talking about their music, a traditional public relations strategy, or something completely new, Blinjoe’s can help.
The label doesn’t want to be “just another record label” that produces records for its clients and little else — it wants to provide artists with unique, tailored guidance so they can become pioneers in their genre.
This is about far more than just crafting the next chart-topping hit, although that never hurts.
The journey so far
The story of Blinjoe’s begins in [date], when Abdulsalam Quadri Opeyemi started the label after observing that the music industry in Nigeria was full of untapped potential. He realized the talent was here, but the best artists didn’t quite have the resources and help they needed to reach their full potential and achieve international success.
Another key goal of the venture is to give upcoming artists fair contracts that will set them up for success rather than deals that they could regret further down the line. To create a sustainable long-term partnership, the label takes extra care to strike fair deals that will support musicians in the region.
Although Blinjoe’s only launched recently, it was quick to achieve success and has already scaled to the point where it has a whole team and a group of talented musicians under its belt.
The label provides various services for the artists it works with services that span:
- Production
- Manufacturing
- Record distribution
However, the record label ultimately gives each of its clients a bespoke package to ensure they can meet their unique demands and aims. Some might aim to attract a niche audience of loyal followers, while others are going for mainstream acceptance and global dominance.
The rates they charge also depend on these factors — but whatever package clients go for, it’s sure to achieve a good return on investment due to the specialist support.
A vision for the future
Blinjoe’s might have achieved an impressive track record already, but the team has ambitions that go way beyond establishing itself as a successful records label.
The ultimate goal is more far-reaching: to put Nigeria on the map for the music industry by showing the rest of the world how much talent belongs to the country. To do this, the label vows to stay on top of new trends in music marketing and technological developments, all while honoring the unique voices and preferences of individual artists.
Now it has a team of experienced industry professionals in place, Blinjoe’s plans to work with all of the artists it has recruited to help them level up their skills and make the best music they possibly can.
This isn’t an overnight process — it involves constant practice and dedication — but there’s no reason it shouldn’t be possible once they have the toolkit given to them by Blinjoe’s. And with [number] artists signed up for the label already, it looks like it’s only a matter of time.
“Record”-breaking highs are pending
As anyone with even the slightest experience making music (or working with those who do) will know, a thriving music venture requires two crucial elements: clever marketing and excellent production. Yes, talent and creativity also come into it, but that’s a job best left to the artists themselves.
There aren’t many record labels that can wholeheartedly claim to do both these things competently, but Blinjoe’s experience so far shows that the team has what it takes to do precisely this.
To stay up to date with Blinjoe’s journey, subscribe to the record label’s newsletter. You won’t just be helping them; you’ll be supporting Nigerian artists and helping the country to grow its presence in the music industry.
