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Marriage Is Like Business-Ubi Franklin

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Ubi Franklin, boss of Made Men Music Group (MMMG) speaks on issues concerning his marriage, parting ways with Iyanya and Emma Nyra and more in this interview with us.

You are new to the institution called marriage, tell us about the challenges you have faced.
There is no challenge. If you call it a challenge that means that you were forced into it. I wasn’t forced into it, so it is not a challenge, it is a new phase.


Getting used to the new phase must be something, isn’t it?

I have always been a kind of person that takes care of people. I have always had people around me. I grew up in a very large family, so there are always people around. So, taking responsibility like paying salaries and putting people under my watch with the help of God has been really great. Marriage for me was something I had been looking forward to. When I was ready I told God I needed a wife and he did it for me.
So there is no big deal to marriage for you?
No. Nothing. It is like business; sometimes the business is good and sometimes it is bad, but the only difference is that marriage is an institution where you never graduate. So, you have to keep failing and repeating the class. You have to learn, and that is what I am doing. I haven’t been a year, but I thank God for what He has done for me so far.
So, what you have been learning?
Marriage itself teaches you a lot of things. You need to live a life that exemplifies the fact that you are sharing your life with someone regardless of who or what you are. You need to realize that you are now a married man and no longer single. You have to understand your wife and allow her to do her things while you do yours. The most important thing is that you have to learn to trust each other because there will be a time when you will be asking yourself should I trust or shouldn’t I, but that is the time that you should hold on tight.

 

Your kind of business requires you to keep late nights; does your wife understand this?
My wife is very understanding. If I have an event she understands and most times she goes to the events with me. She understands that there are times I have to be out there to do what I have to do. Marriage is all about communication and understanding.
How would you describe your wife?
She is a blessing from God. It is something that I am still praying to God for so that He can perfect it, but I know that He can do it.
Temple Management Company (TMC), is the new management company signing all the big names in the music industry including Iyanya, what is your impression of the organization?
It is a welcomed development. Our industry needs to be properly restructured and I think that this is the restructuring we are talking about. If you are a record label you deal with the music of the artiste, if you are a management company you manage the artiste and if you are a licensing company you license the works of the artiste. If you are a content management company all you do is manage the content of the artiste. So, I think that it is a welcome development and I know that it is good for the industry.
A lot of people will say it’s a downside for record label owners, as the agencies will now get a share of the artiste’s fee, do you agree?
I have not seen any contract from any of the company, but I think that the way it is done is that the company gets a percentage of whatever the artiste makes depending on what you negotiate. I do know that, whatever, it is a good development as the artiste can focus on the music while the management will manage the artiste. I won’t say that I am not for it, I am for it.
Sometimes back, there were talks about you and Iyanya parting ways due to a crisis from his decision to set up a label, for the record tell us about it.
I need to clear this thing now. When an artiste is somewhere and he has been there for years it means that he has served. When he is about to move you celebrate with him. There is something in Igbo land, when you work with somebody and you are about to start your own thing the person you served helps you, but a lot of people are against it. If I had my way, we will work together for years and many more years to come, but it is only healthy that if a guy says I want to start my own thing; I have an idea of who I want to sign and what I want to sign, you say go ahead.  If you say no, don’t do it, then it will look like there is something. It is healthy.
Why do you say that if you had your way you would work together for many more years?
You see, the truth is that there are too many record labels in Nigeria and it is making the industry weaker. For the industry to be stronger, there needs to be fewer record labels. These record labels need to be structured properly. Yes, I said if I had my way, but it is not about money, it is not about making money with Iyanya. If I had my way there will be only 10 strong record labels in Nigeria. Right now, we have many record labels in Nigeria and they are not strong, they don’t even have their feet on the ground. I am not talking about Iyanya now, but I am speaking generally.
The American music industry has several record labels, but it is still strong, isn’t this a contradiction?

The labels are tied to something. All the labels you hear about are tied to bigger labels. Kanye West for instance is signed to a label, but he still has his Good Music. John Legend for instance is signed to Kanye West, but he still has something going on, they never leave. What is at the top is strong enough to hold the leg of the new label on the ground. They don’t just leave to start a new thing; they still remain at their label and do their thing.

 

Do you have any regret that Iyanya left at the time he did?

If he was leaving a failure then I would have felt bad, but he is leaving a success. I don’t have any regret. Iyanya not only sold concerts all over Nigeria, but all over the world. We have worked together for years and he is going to do his thing, I am happy and fulfilled. If he was leaving without any success or hit songs then I would feel, oh I failed, but he is not. He is a success. Iyanya is one of the most talented artistes in Nigeria and I pray that he keeps that fire burning and he continues to do good music.

 

Tekno is another artiste on your label worthy of mentioning, what is your estimation of him?

He is the biggest young talent in the music industry presently.

 

With all of Tekno’s hit songs, his album should drop anytime from now, don’t you think so?

Interestingly, most of the songs you have heard might not even be in the album. We are challenging ourselves to produce a fresh album. Tekno is a complete musician; he plays all the musical instruments. There is nothing in music that he doesn’t know, the only thing I think he doesn’t know is management and how to come up with ideas for his brand, but everything that has to do with making music is something that he knows about. He plays every musical instrument and everything he touches is a hit.

 

How do you gather such talents despite being that young?

When I see a talented person I known, it comes with the passion in me. I have never touched anything that is not talented. If I see a talent I know.

 

A lot of people would argue that with you especially when you consider your role in the career of Emma Nyra, what do you say?

Let me say this. The reason why I said that I am fulfilled with Iyanya is because he is leaving at a time when he is a made artiste. I never had that time with Emma Nyra to do what I had to do to get her out there. However, everyone who knows her as an artiste today do because I promoted her and she is another person that has passion in her and her passion is burning. I wish her all the best wherever she is. Bringing her to Nigeria made you to know her. I have played my part.

 

Without being subjective how would you evaluate her growth since leaving your label?

I am not in the position to talk about that. Let people that are watching judge.

 

You replaced Emma Nyra with a new female artiste, what attracted you to her?

Tonye Garrick is one of the artistes on the label presently. Different things drive me to an artiste. It could be the brand or the music. When I met her I thought she had the right brand and music to fit into what I wanted to make her.

 

You just said the right brand you wanted, is it all about you or the artiste?

I sell. If I cannot sell something I can’t buy it. I am the one selling it. I am the trader. There are many good artistes out there, but if our spirits don’t jell we can’t work together. When you see a girl you like, you will see how your body moves, that is how I feel when I see an artiste that I like. When you see a girl you don’t like you just bluff and move on.

 

Can you reel out the names of artistes on your label presently?

Tekno, he is about to become one of the biggest export out of Africa. People don’t know what the guy has, but we are going to unveil it and they will know; Selebobo, great talent and producer. Tekno is also a producer by the way. Selebobo is a great producer, great talent. He sings and writes. Tonye Garrick is a great talent too. She has a great voice, while Chibbz is a wonderful talent; DJ Cublon, number one producer. That is why I say I feel fulfilled. I feel fulfilled because I can record all these success under me. I am not there yet, I have not even done five percent of the things I want to do in the industry.

 

Are you fulfilled in your life?

I am fulfilled because the plans I have are coming to life, but it is a gradual process to my achieving 150 percent. The day I die I will know that I have achieved what I set to achieve in the music industry.

 

Your wife is an actress, are you looking at investing in that industry?

I will be doing a lot of movie production. That is in my wife’s business. I want to be involved; I want to see how that industry is.

 

Are you talking about how lucrative the industry is?

I am not talking about how lucrative the industry is, I am trying to see if I can change the face of the industry in my own way.

 

Prior to your wedding there were several speculations, what was that all about?

I don’t want to talk about that.

 

The movie industry is one which is filled with a lot of doubts and deceit, how do you manage knowing your wife is an actress?
It all boils down to what I told you earlier; it’s about understanding and communication. When there is communication and understanding there is nothing more.

 

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