Staff
By BigEyeUg Team
Ugandan rapper Navio has shared his thoughts on the changing dynamics of the music industry, warning that artists can no longer afford to stay quiet for long periods if they want to remain relevant.
According to Navio, the pace at which the entertainment industry moves today means that disappearing from the spotlight for six or seven years could seriously damage an artist’s career.
“With the pace of things in my country, going quiet as an artist for six or seven years can be a problem,” he explained.
The rapper also criticized certain practices within record labels, saying they sometimes end up slowing down artists instead of helping them grow. Navio pointed out that many musicians sign deals with labels but end up releasing music very infrequently.
“I have seen a lot of artists who even got signed after me. They release a song, then 14 months later they release another one,” he said.
He added that this pattern is common for artists signed to labels, especially if they are not global superstars like Rihanna. According to him, labels often have different expectations for artists, and those who fail to immediately meet them may receive less support.
Navio also cited rapper Keko as an example, suggesting that her career may have been affected by label dynamics. He believes she was not pushed as strongly as other artists who were considered more commercially viable at the time.
“They use the hotter artists at the time and sometimes sideline the minor ones,” he said, adding that Keko may not have received the promotion she deserved because she was not seen as being at the same level as other artists at the time.
Despite his criticism of labels, Navio believes responsibility should not fall entirely on them. Instead, he argues that fans and the broader music ecosystem should also play a role in supporting artists.
“There are a lot of things labels do that are weird, but we can’t put the penalty on the labels. We need to put the penalty on us, the fans, and our royalties collection,” he said.
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