Ghanaian artiste Trigmatic has recounted how he narrowly escaped signing a record deal with a UK-based label at the early stage of his career.
According to him, while the deal promised glamour, consultations revealed it would have cost him ownership of the masters to his debut album, Permanent Stains.
Speaking to Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A to Z, Trigmatic noted that some record label deals can limit an artiste’s creativity and career growth. However, he emphasized that it is up to artistes to carefully weigh their options before making such commitments.
“I had an offer. They actually flew me to check their studios in the UK. I will never forget. And at the time, My Life was big. Before they tried to sign me, I was chasing them because they had a globally renowned artiste and were always coming to Ghana,” he said.
Trigmatic explained that his interest in the label grew due to their frequent visits to Ghana.
“I wanted to connect with their A&R, who also worked with Julian Marley. Then eventually, I released My Life. When they came again the following year with a big artiste to perform in Ghana, I happened to be headlining that event. The A&R was shocked at how much I had grown within a year and wanted to revisit the earlier conversation about signing me,” he recalled.
He said that when he visited their office in the UK, they showcased their luxurious cars and state-of-the-art studios.
“They later sent a contract, and I remember I had just met my lawyer. If I didn’t have a lawyer at the time, I would have signed it immediately because I was having issues with my former manager, Godfred. The label had one of the biggest female musicians in the world and a globally recognized male artiste of Ghanaian origin. So I was convinced that if I joined them, my international career would skyrocket,” he said.
Although he had already envisioned signing the deal, he decided to have his lawyer review the contract.
“That’s when he pointed out the loopholes in the contract—the duration, the restrictions, and some conditions I would have had to endure,” he said.
Trigmatic admitted that he was so disappointed with his lawyer’s advice that he stopped speaking to him for about a year and a half, believing that he had ruined a golden opportunity.
“But now, when I look back at some of the artistes who signed with that label, I realize that sometimes we shouldn’t rush. It’s not always about the glamour,” he noted.
The Motromodwo hitmaker acknowledged that the deal might have had advantages, particularly in distribution, but questioned whether he would have lasted on the label.
“Would I have still been there after 10 or 15 years? The same way they shelved other artistes, I’m sure they would have done the same to me. Looking at how they’ve moved on to different artistes over the years, I know I made the right decision,” he added.
This year, Trigmatic is celebrating 15 years since officially stepping into the music industry. He has also released a book on leadership titled A Lion’s Aide.
With five albums to his credit, he is known for songs such as My Jolley, Mefri Ghana, Agyei, Where We Dey Go, and Gye Nyame.