Nigerian Music - Chocolate City – Record Label – Profile

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BACKGROUND

Chocolate City is record label, artiste management and promotions company. Chocolate City has been involved in the development and promotion of talent in and around Nigeria with a series of feats within its three years of operations from wining the Best Northern Label in 2005,to winning both the Nigerian and Global Award for music entrepreneurship sponsored by the British Council i.e The International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY)2007 after beating 9 other countries to clinch the prestigious British Music Industry award and in June 2008 organised the first ever Nigerian music Industry delegation with the support of the British Council and The Ministry of Culture and Tourism as well as the Heart of Africa project to participate at London Calling 2008. The 40 man delegation was led by the Minister of Culture and Tourism. We work closely with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism toward promoting and celebrating creativity in Nigeria-something we are very passionate about-and we enjoin you to support our vibrant creative industries, because therein lies the future of our youth.

Chocolate City is a record label, artiste management and promotions company, originally founded as a night club/rave in 1997. Chocolate City quickly became the number one promotions outfit in the Northern part of Nigeria and moved into the industry main stream in 2005, with the launch of the record label “Chocolate City Music”.

Chocolate City is credited with pioneering the promotion of Northern-based musicians around Nigeria with the discovery and signing acts like Six Foot Plus and Jeremiah Gyang (whose debut album Na BA KA won numerous accolades and acclaim for the artist as well as the label). Chocolate City went on to discover, manage and promote the careers of talents like Djinee, Jude Abaga, MI, Asa, Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince and other artist who later won awards both locally and internationally.

In June 2007, Audu Maikori Founder/CEO of Chocolate City won the prestigious British award, International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) by the British Council, making Nigeria the first country to win 2 global awards in the Young Creative Entrepreneurs Series (the first was Lanre Lawal (IYDEY) 2005), after beating 9 countries including; Philippines, Latvia, Lithuania, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Egypt and Poland.

Chocolate City has since worked closely with the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as several international organizations such as, the British Council, in promoting the creative industries, as well as Capacity building projects in and around Nigeria. In April 2008, Chocolate City announced a major collaborative effort in partnership with the British Council and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, to take a delegation of Nigerian music stakeholders to London, Calling 2008 in a bid to open new vistas for the fast growing Nigerian music industry valued at around $500 Million (2007).

Chocolate City has also been active in the promotion of the Creative industries globally, having participated in several workshops and initiatives. In January 2008, Chocolate City delivered a keynote address on a workshop tagged “Mapping the Creative Industries in Albania” organized by the British Council, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Ministry of Economy, Albania. The workshop was aimed at sharing experiences of creative entrepreneurs from around Europe, the UK and Nigeria. Chocolate City activities were judged to have the capacity to affect the Nigerian Music Industry on a national scale, receiving media coverage from both local and international media. Reuters International produced a documentary on the Chocolate City success story tagged “Music and Money” in recognition of its contributions to the development of the Nigerian Music Industry.

Chololate City management team includes: Yahaya Maikori, Okeugo Paul, Audu Maikori and Katung Aduwak

Our artistes include Djinee(Best New Artist) Nigerian Music Awards), MI( Nigerian nominee for Bring the Noise and Hip hop award winner 2008 for best rap single) ,Jesse Jagz (Sugar cane baby)… aside from these we work with local and international acts and companies in the areas of music, T.V and events.

ARTIST
M.I, Jesse Jagz and Ice prince
AWARDS
CHOCOLATE CITY MUSIC
Best Label- AA Awards 2008
Global IYMEY Awards by British Council( international Creative Enterprise Series) 2007.

M.I also know as Jude Abaga, was born to Pastor and Mrs Abaga, both active members of the local Church Choir in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria . His mother taught him the basic music notations and later bought him 7-key mini piano ,which launched him early into the world of music.

His encounter with Hip-Hop started with sampling the works of DMX and Lauryn Hill in 1998. He later delved into writing poetry. In 1999, MI left for Calvin College, Michigan, USA. To pursue a degree in business and economics. There he interacted with the budding Michigan hip-hop community. He performed at all the major hip-hop and R&B shows and concerts in school and later came third in the Calvin College “Hip hopera” 2003.

M.I returned to Plateau, Nigeria in 2005 to find the local music industry on the verge of a revolution and was set to take African Hip-Hop to new heights. A proficient producer, lyricist, songwriter and instrumentalist, M.I has been described by DIV, as the future of African Hip-Hop. He has produced and featured on the works of artists like Jeremiah Gyang, Djinee, Shifi (Style Plus), Jesse Jags, Ice Prince,Ruby, Lindsy , Leone e.t.c. Crowd Mentality which is the first single of his album “Pyeri Boy” has topped every major chart in and around Nigeria and is currently number one on the Creative economy website www.creativeconomy.org.uk. The video is enjoying tremendous airplay and was No3 at Sound City Video charts in July 2007.

AWARDS
Hip Hop Revelation(2009)-HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2009
Best Rap Album (HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2009)
Best Hip Hop Act (Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2009)
Best New Act (Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2009)
Best Hip Hop Act (City People Awards)
Best Rap single (Hip Hop World Awards)
Musician of the Year (Modemen Awards 2008)
Best New Act (MAMA 2009)

Jesse Jags also known as Jesse Garba Abaga, was born in the month of August 1984, to a preaching father and singing mother, Rev. & Mrs. Chris Abaga. He grew up in a church, where he was first exposed to music. There he learnt how to drum and sing, at age 9, he was a drummer in a band that won PMAN’s award for the best gospel group in 1993.

He attended Baptist High School Jos, were he discovered he’s talent for dancing and rapping. He eventually teamed up with his classmates and released an album, titled, ‘My life for your Love’ . After graduating, he started a group with two others known as the GI (Gospel Insanity) . Shortly afterwards he joined another group known as El- tophelli a.k.a. Eleven Thirty, where he produced his first # 1 Hit, titled,’ Three Kings’ . He later started the dance Group Jesse and Backdrops and at the same time he was a drummer at House on the Rock church in Jos Plateau State.

In 2004 he hooked up with Jude Abaga a.k.a MI, together they started Inner Hub Studios and Loopy Records . By 2005, Jesse started solo career with a debut-hit “ Africa” that remained at #1 on the cool fm chart for a month.

AWARDS
Artist with most Top Ten hits- Cool FM
Producer of the Year- Plateau Award for Excellence-2008.

ARTISTS

MI
Djinee
Jesse Jagz
Jeremiah Gyang

CONTACT

Address: Chocolate City, 38 Lobito Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria
Email: info@chocolatecitymusic.com

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Nigerian Music - Chocolate City – Record Label – Profile

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