Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, Well known as Davido, has partnered with a US distribution company, United Masters, to launch a new label, Nine+ Records.
Davido, in an interview with Billboard, said he aims to expand the label beyond Afrobeats to reach global audiences.
He also Narrate his passion for nurturing emerging talent and addressing the challenges of young artists in the music industry as motivations for the partnership.
“Oh yeah, everything. R&B, trap, etc. Obviously, I am going to start in Africa, but I can see us going all the way,” he said.
“There is one thing that I will always love, which is nurturing new talent. Sometimes, you do not have anybody to advise you on how to move and get good paperwork done.
“I just felt like that was one thing Steve Stout represents, and that is helping the artists and making sure they know the best option when it comes to business.”
The Partnership news was also shared by United Masters via their official Instagram page in what they termed a “groundbreaking collaboration with Davido”.
In the press release, United Masters called the partnership transformative for the African music industry that will see one of the continent’s most influential figures propel the careers of emerging artists to unprecedented heights.
Although Nine+ Records has not yet unveiled any artistes, Steve Stoute, chief executive of UnitedMasters, disclosed that his inspiration for the label emerged during the 2023 UnitedMasters SelectCon, where he and Davido forged a connection.
The music executive also emphasised his commitment to empowering Davido and the label’s future endeavors.
“We are here to bring that structure and funding so he can do what he has to do,” he said.
“If I can get him in the room with the producers and the artistes, and I can get it out the room, that is my job. To get in the room and to get out.”
Davido established DMW, his music label, in April 2016.
The label has served as home to music talents such as Mayorkun, Peruzzi, and Dremo.
In March, Davido rebranded his label to DMW 2.0 and unveiled two new artistes — Morravey and Logos Olori.