Bella Shmurda Sheds Light on Why Nigerian Artistes Charge High Performance Fees
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that popular Nigerian hip-hop singer and songwriter, Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi, known professionally as Bella Shmurda, has shedded light on the reasons behind the increasing performance fees charged by Nigerian artistes.
OTN News further reports that the music star, who disclosed this in a recent interview with Naija FM Lagos, revealed that high performance fees are driven by the substantial expenses artists incur behind the scenes.
According to him, speaking from the perspectives of an artiste, making music is expensive. I don’t repeat clothes because I’m a public figure.
He emphasized that musicians pay numerous professionals involved in the creative process, including producers, songwriters, and engineers, which adds up significantly.
"I spent $100,000 to pay producers, songwriters and engineers that worked on my album. That’s over N100 million. Not to mention music videos and promotion costs. That’s a lot," he explained.
However, explaining on how the artists recover their spendings, Bella Shmurda clarified that the fees charged for shows are meant to at least recover production investments.
“So, I go for a show, I would charge what would equate my investments. Even if I don’t make profit, I should at least be able to recover the cost of production. So, we are not overcharging. If you look at it from our own perspective, you will agree that we are not overcharging,” he added.
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