960 Music challenges Burna Boy catalogue sale in court

A legal dispute has arisen over the ownership of Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy’s early music catalogue, following a lawsuit filed by 960 Music Group seeking to overturn a multi-million-dollar transaction involving his former record label.

The case relates to a deal allegedly concluded in mid-2024, in which Aristokrat Music, the label that signed Burna Boy at the start of his career, sold his early master recordings and intellectual property rights to Spaceship Music, his current imprint led by the artist and his mother, Bose Ogulu.

960 Music Group, which owns a 40 percent stake in Aristokrat Music, claims the sale was carried out without its knowledge, consent, or board approval. The company has filed suit in Port Harcourt, arguing that the catalogue constitutes a major corporate asset that could not legally be sold without the agreement of all principal shareholders.

The dispute has also taken on a criminal dimension. Nigeria’s Force Criminal Investigation Department has filed charges against Aristokrat Music founder Piriye Isokrari following investigations into allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Authorities allege that proceeds from the sale were diverted and that corporate governance processes were bypassed in negotiating the transaction with Spaceship Music.

An executive at 960 Music Group said the company had no option but to seek legal intervention, maintaining that assets of such value cannot be transferred unilaterally.

The case places Burna Boy’s early catalogue under legal uncertainty. While the deal was expected to grant him full control of his early masters, a court ruling in favour of 960 Music could require his label to surrender rights to some of his breakthrough recordings.

Legal analysts say the outcome could have broader implications for music rights ownership, shareholder authority, and record label governance within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Source

The Sun Nigeria