A legal battle has erupted over the ownership of Burna Boy’s early music catalogue, pitting his former label against his current management in a series of fraud allegations and backroom deal claims.
The dispute centers on a mid-2024 transaction that has prompted both a criminal investigation and ongoing high-stakes lawsuits in the Federal High Court of Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The conflict began in May/June 2024, when Aristokrat Music, the label that launched Burna Boy’s career in 2011, allegedly sold the artist’s historical intellectual property (IP) and master recordings to Spaceship Music, the singer’s current imprint led by Burna Boy and his mother, Bose Ogulu.
A statement from 960 Music Group, which owns 40% of Aristokrat Music, claims the sale was illegal and carried out without their knowledge or consent.
In a legal move that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s music industry, 960 Music Group approached the Port Harcourt court seeking to declare the sale null and void, arguing that Aristokrat’s crown jewel assets were sold without board approval or shareholder consent.
The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has also filed charges against Aristokrat founder Piriye Isokrari, following an intensive probe into allegations of financial misconduct.
960 Music further claims that the CEO’s alleged actions constitute fraudulent conversion and a breach of fiduciary duty, and that the sale of Burna Boy’s early works to Spaceship Music was done as a private deal that undermined shareholder rights.
The case is ongoing, and its outcome could have major implications for intellectual property rights and corporate governance in Nigeria’s music industry.
