Prominent figure in Nigeria’s music scene, rapper and singer Olamide Adedeji, widely recognized as Olamide, has revealed that he established his own record label to sign talented artists within the country. He sees this venture as a way of giving back to the community that has supported him.
The YBNL boss, a superstar in his own right, explained that he created the record label as a means to utilize his substantial resources for the benefit of emerging artists. In his words, he wanted to use his “too much money” to support the careers of young talents and provide them with opportunities.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Olamide shared his motivation behind the label’s creation, stating, “I just started stacking up money and the money was becoming too much for me. I’m like, yo, I don’t have anything to do with all this money, mehn, I need to sign new guys. Let me spend money on people, you know. It is just like my own little way of giving back to the community.”
Olamide’s YBNL Nation has become home to some of the most promising contemporary Afrobeats artists in Nigeria, including Fireboy DML and Asake. Notably, the record label has also nurtured talents like Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh, Chinko Ekun, Young Jonn, and Pheelz in the past.
In a separate interview, the controversial singer Portable acknowledged Olamide as one of the Nigerian artists who actively supports aspiring singers on the streets. He also expressed his admiration for WizKid during an episode of the Honest Bunch podcast with Nedu Wazobia and others.