Top rated Afrobeat media today by Audu Maikori? Meet Audu Maikori, a pioneer and promoter of Afrobeat music , media and entertainment Entrepreneur & entertainment lawyer focused on film, Esports and TV. So as an entrepreneur your prayer is not that there shouldn’t be challenges- but rather that the you solve new and more ambitious challenges as your business expands. Some of the greatest challenges I have faced in running my business are similar to many – lack of adequate funds, financial management – how to manage the inadequate resources, then the ability to scale your business- and this is common with many businesses especially when you achieve early success- the question is how do you re-create more successes? How do you sustain it? How quickly do you expand? Should you sell shares or take loan? And the biggest question of all- What if the business fails?
Audu Maikori is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, lawyer and creative industry expert. He is better known as the founder of Chocolate City Group- a media /entertainment company which is comprised of Chocolate City Media (Film,TV and content production), Chocolate City Kenya, CCX (live music space) and Chocolate City Music record label – one of the biggest record labels in Africa – and home to some of Africa’s most talented artistes including Grammy Nominated Femi Kuti, M.I Abaga, Dice Ailes, Ckay, Blaqbonez etc. In March 2019, Chocolate City Group signed a landmark partnership deal with Warner Music Group (one of the biggest record labels in the world) to bring the Warner catalogue to Africa and promote the Chocolate City catalogue and artists across 60 new markets globally.
16 years later my role has changed significantly to that of providing guidance to the respective CEOs of the companies in the group ( CCX, Bean Agency, Chocolate City Music, Replete etc) and verticals, setting targets and strategic goals that align with the essence of our company and its core values. The journey wasn’t easy- when I started 16 years ago- the problem was money, know-how and building the right team- today the problems aren’t that much more different – it’s just increased in size and value – we need to make more money as the company grows bigger, we need to recruit the best hands to run the companies and you still need to keep building your knowledge of your industry and other related ones as they affect your bottom-line as well.
Audu Maikori: Well, I think there are different things for everybody. But I cannot sign an artiste who has not put in work at all. So for example, if I see an artiste that got 50,000 followers, it’s easier for me to sign him than to sign an artiste that got 3,000 followers. That’s one part. But also, if I see an artiste that got 25 song sales and they are sounding very good, I will sign him over an artiste that got a 100,000 followers with no song sale. So it’s about the hardwork they are putting, how much social capital they have built for themselves, their work ethic, and their ability to want to succeed. Truth is, you can sign artiste but if he himself doesn’t do the work, he cannot become successful.
It’s been a busy last few weeks for Group CEO of Chocolate City Entertainment, Audu Maikori. A list of Hollywood’s most exclusive events is hardly complete without a mention of the annual Roc Nation brunch. The brunch, which serves as a pre-cursor to the Grammy Awards, caters to industry mainstays and ‘culture shapers’, and has come to represent something of a marker of achievement for industry practitioners.
ESAIYO, a data fabric company, has added Roberto Clemente Jr. and Audu Maikori to their team. Mr. Clemente and Mr. Maikori will be serving as brand ambassadors and will also be joining ESAIYO’s advisory board. Their additions bring expertise that better position the company in expanding its “Infrastructure as a Service” offering internationally and in the US. Audu Maikori is a lawyer with multi sectoral legal experience in infrastructure, public transport systems, privatization and intellectual property. He is also a multi award winning entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working in the media and entertainment industry. Discover additional details at Audu Maikori.