Nairobi News

After a premature exit from his previous music label and having to pay his former boss Tsh1 billion (Ksh50 million), Tanzanian singer Rayvanny and Diamond Platnumz seem to have put their differences aside.

The duo has released a song together titled ‘Nitongoze’.

In case you are wondering why this is a big deal, then let me refresh your memory. You see, Diamond being a talented artiste, is also a shrewd businessman.

Since starting his Wasafi Classic Babe (WCB) Records artistes in Tanzania competed to be signed by the label.

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Apart from Mbosso and Mavoko his other artistes (Harmonize and Rayvanny) were unknown individuals in the music scene.

Diamond prided in himself when the two artiste later became major celebrities saying that he was glad that his gamble to take them in paid off.

But later on, trouble started to brew in paradise.

Harmonize was the first WCB signee and had been at the club for four years by the time he forced his way out in 2017, igniting bad blood between him and the sole proprietor, Diamond.

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He had to part with Sh500 million (Ksh 25 million) as a buyout of the remainder of his 10-year contract.

Upon his exit, Harmonize went on a charm offensive accusing the WCB of continuing to be exploitative taking 60% of his revenues even when it had stopped funding his projects, leaving him to cater for himself after he became established and famous.

A few years later Rayvanny followed suit to start his record label titled Next Level Music (NLM). He too had to pay a hefty amount to release himself from the contract he signed with Wasafi.

This has put Diamond on the spot with artistes and even the Tanzania music and art regulatory council BASATA for exploiting artistes.

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But the ‘Somebody’ hitmaker appears unbothered with his critics. In fact, talent manager Said Fella, who is also one of WCBs’ managers during an interview with the Nation said that they were not sorry for taking up to 60 percent of the total revenue generated from every artiste signed under the label.

“It’s true we take 60% of the revenue generated by an artist but there is a reason behind that. When artists join WCB, they’re always rookies with nothing. We establish them.

The 60% caters to the manager’s salaries, music promotions of these artists, audio and visual recording of their projects and tax too. The artist is left with 40% all for himself, so where is the problem in that.” Fella said.

Since parting ways with Harmonize the two have not been able to see eye to eye, but it seems Diamond is having a change of heart if this new collaboration between him and Rayvanny is anything to go by.

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