Diamond Platnumz has publicly expressed regret for helping artistes like Rayvanny, Harmonize among others whom he nurtured.
The Wasafi CEO opened up following the dramas that have been witnessed when musicians are leaving his label.
Former Wasafi artistes complained of being ‘exploited’ by the label through the contracts they signed.
Diamond while responding to the allegations, in a recent post on social media, said the artistes whose careers he nurtured were very unappreciative and thus regretted why he ever helped them.
“Hivi saa ndio nimegundua kwanini watu kama kina Kidayo, Davido na kadharika waliamua kufocus na nafsi zao na sio kupoteza nguvu, umaarufu, pesa na muda wao kusaidia wasanii chipukizi walowasign. Hii industry haina shukran!.. But usiumie hii ni nchi yetu na ni jukumu letu kuhakikisha kwamba tunaendelea kunyanyua vijana toka mtaani ili nao wajikomboe kimaisha,” Diamond wrote.
After Rayvanny left Wasafi, details emerged of how he was slapped with an additional fine for performing at the Nandy Festival before completing the process of exiting the label.
Vanny Boy on July 12, 2022, officially announced he had parted ways with Diamond’s record label after six years. As per reports, the contract was to run for 10 years.
He was forced to pay Tsh800 million/Ksh40 million for terminating his contract with Wasafi before its expiry. The amount was Tsh1 billion but was reduced to Tsh800 million after Babu Tale intervened.
During the negotiations, Rayvanny went ahead to perform at Nandy Festival in breach of his contract with Wasafi which at that point had not been terminated yet.
Wasafi ultimately slapped Rayvanny with an additional Tsh50 million/Ksh2.5 million for performing at the Nandy Festival before completing the process of exiting the label.
Rayvanny’s standoff with Wasafi aside, the first drama that was witnessed when an artiste was leaving the label occurred in 2018 involving Rich Mavoko.
Mavoko ditched WCB in 2018, two years after he terminated his contract with King Kaka’s record label, Kaka Empire in 2016.
The singer’s exit from Wasafi was a messy and noisy affair rather than a mutual one like what we saw with Rayvanny.
He expressed discontent with his contract, which he termed as “exploitative and malicious”.
WCB demanded Mavoko to pay the label Tsh500 million (Ksh23 million) to be allowed to terminate the contract with the label, but he stood his ground and declined.
Mavoko was bound by the contract he signed with Wasafi which required him to pay the label a compensation fee for leaving before his contract expired.
The tussle between Wasafi and Mavoko ended up at the Tanzania Music Regulatory Board, Basata, who helped both parties arrive at an amicable solution.
Rich Mavoko left without paying anything. What is not clear is if he still owns the rights to the songs he recorded under Wasafi.
In 2019, another drama played out at Wasafi after Harmonize demanded to leave the label before his contract expired.
Harmonize officially quit Wasafi in August 2019 after complaining about his contract. He had signed a 15-year contract with Diamond’s label.
The ‘Kwangwaru’ hitmaker decided to terminate the contract with WCB just four years after he felt he was no longer getting value for his output. He was forced to pay Wasafi Ksh24 million for ditching the label prematurely.
Harmonize was reportedly forced to sell his three houses and a piece of land to raise the Ksh24 million that Wasafi demanded for leaving the label before his contract expired.
He was forced to part with the full amount so that WCB could allow him full rights ownership to the songs he did under WCB (all of his songs at the time were recorded and produced by Wasafi).
Harmonize left Wasafi a bitter man and has been beefing with Diamond Platnumz to date, always antagonizing his former boss.
Related: “Respect My Baby Mama” Rayvanny Ruthlessly Destroys Wasafi Presenter Juma Lokole
