Business, Legal Drama

Africa Legal Drama: Colosal Entertainment Sues Soul E for Breach of Contract, Wins ₦160million

I have covered what happens when an artist terminates a contract with a label and what was at stake when Kel left Capital Hill in September 2010. That situation was amicable. This time, the situation is not so amicable. Artist Soul E signed to Colosal Entertainment attempted to walk out on his label. The label sued for breach of contract and won. He is now required to pay monies to his label as well as produce five more albums. Read an excerpt of the news on the Nigeria’s Federal High Court Ruling in Lagos below.

“When (Soul E) hit the scene in 2006, he was signed to a music label called Colosal Entertainment. In 2007, Soul E left the record label and they sued him for breach of contract. The case went to court in Oct 2007 and only just concluded recently.

The record label won the case and Federal High Court, Lagos has ordered that the singer pay the label the sum of N168, 486, 320 and five more albums to complete their agreement.

The agreement, which was signed in 2005, states that Soul E will release 6 albums under Colossal Records, and so many other things which the singer agreed to and signed. The label claim they spent millions on Soul E in the two years he was with them and want their money back. And unless Soul E pays Colossal that money and give them the 5 albums, he can never perform on stage again as Soul E.” – Linda Ikeji 

If you are thinking of walking out on your label, you should read my Kel v. Capital Hill article here.

What are your thoughts on Colosal Entertainment’s victory? What do you think Soul E should have done differently? Leave your comments below or on my Facebook fan page.
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Cheers,
-Uduak

Photocredit: Soul E Promotional Pic

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Credited for several firsts in the fashion and entertainment industry, Uduak Oduok (Ms. Uduak) is a fashion and entertainment lawyer, speaker, visionary, gamechanger, trailblazer, and recognized thought leader, for her work on Africa’s emerging global fashion and entertainment markets, and the niche practice of fashion law in the United States. She is also the founder of ‘Africa Music Law,’ an industry go-to music business and law blog and podcast show empowering African artists. Her work in the creative and legal industries has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including an award from the American University Washington College of Law for her “legal impact in the field of intellectual property in Africa." She has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at several institutions in the United States. For more information, visit her at https://msuduak.com.

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3 Comments

  1. N'josh D Elcee says:

    Soul is in big soup. i thought he is educated? r nWhat made him think he can Skip the contract just like that?r nand he can't just sing any kind of songs in an album for them cos he will also be destroying his career.r nDoes he actually have such amount to pay?r nr nWhen artiste are hungry to get fame to sign anything thing that comes their way and forget that fact that there is always "Bull Shit" in any contract u sing.r nr nSould E is Doomedr nr nExcept if he will go and plead with colosal Entertainment to kindly reduce the weight off him. either the album or the money.

  2. Africamusiclaw says:

    @N'josh, thanks for commenting. I think he probably did not think the label would enforce the contract through the courts. Most labels in Nigeria when artists breach their contracts, they don't push because they do not want to be in the news. r nr nColosal is clearly changing things. r nr n-Uduak

  3. He should have consulted with a lawyer BEFORE walking out on a contract & if he did maybe he can sue the attorneys for malpractice

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