- Tiwa Savage reflects on her music industry experience, emphasizing the role of record labels in artists’ mental health.
- She gained this understanding after leaving Mavin Records, where she was signed from 2012 to 2019.
- Despite her departure, she still views Mavin Records as part of her extended family.
Nigerian music star Tiwa Savage has reflected on her experience in the music industry, stating that she only fully understood the importance of a record label to an artist’s mental health after exiting Mavin Records.
The award-winning singer, who joined Mavin Records in 2012 and left in 2019 before signing with Universal Music Group, noted that although she has moved on professionally, she still considers Mavin a part of her extended family.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, Tiwa Savage explained that the environment within a record label can significantly influence an artist’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
She recalled her time at Mavin Records, saying she often found comfort in confiding in the label boss, Don Jazzy, as well as her colleagues whenever she faced difficult moments—support she now feels is less accessible in her current setup.
Tiwa Savage further advised that upcoming artists should carefully evaluate record labels before signing, stressing the need to know whether a label genuinely cares about its talents or simply views them as profit-generating assets.
She said, “Who you signed to is very important and I didn’t appreciate it until after I left Mavin. Whenever there’s a controversy online I’d run to Don Jazzy’s room, sit on the floor or bed with other Mavin acts and we would talk about it. I would cry if I had to cry and we would get through it.
“But being with a [foreign] label, they don’t really care about your personal stuff. So, I can’t really go to the Empire office and cry. I miss that part it.”
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