A legal war has begun over the ownership of celebrity singer Burna Boy’s early musical catalogue, pitting his former label and his current management against each other in a series of fraud allegations and alleged backroom deals.
At the heart of the dispute is a transaction allegedly carried out in mid-2024 that has now triggered both a criminal investigation and high-stakes lawsuits in the Federal High Court of Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The conflict began in May/June 2024, when Aristokrat Music, the label that launched Burna Boy’s career in 2011, allegedly sold the artist’s historical intellectual property (IP) and master recordings to his current imprint, Spaceship Music, which is led by Burna Boy and his mother, Bose Ogulu.
However, 960 Music Group, which owns a 40 per cent equity stake in Aristokrat Music, claims the sale was illegal.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the industry, 960 Music approached a court in Port Harcourt to declare the sale null and void.
They argue that as major shareholders, the sale of the company’s ‘crown jewel, assets was finalised without their knowledge, consent, or board approval.
Criminal Allegations
Beyond the civil suit, the matter has turned into a police case.
The Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID has officially filed charges against Piriye Isokrari, the founder of Aristokrat Records, following an intensive investigation into allegations of financial misconduct and fraud levelled against 960 Music Group.
Isokrari is accused of alleged fraudulent conversion, that he diverted the proceeds from the multi-million dollar sale for personal use or redirected them away from the company’s official accounts.
The CEO is also accused of a breach of fiduciary duty.
960 Music claims the CEO bypassed corporate governance to strike a “private deal” with Spaceship Music, effectively “selling out” the interests of his partners at 960 Music.
‘Bring Those Assets Back’
An unnamed executive at 960 Music stated that the firm was left with no choice but to involve the authorities.
“You cannot sell 100 per cent of an asset when you only have the authority to manage the company, not bypass the owners of 40 per cent of its soul. This was a coordinated effort to move the IP under the radar, and we are
asking the court to bring those assets back,” the executive said
The dispute may create an adverse legal liability.
For Burna Boy, a 2021 Grammy Award winner for the Best Global Music Album, the situation is a double-edged sword.
While the 2024 deal was likely intended to give him total control over his early masters—a goal for many global superstars—the alleged procedural failures by Aristokrat have placed those masters in legal limbo.
If the Port Harcourt court rules in favour of 960 Music, Burna Boy’s own label could be forced to surrender the rights to his breakout hits like ‘Like to Party’ and ‘Tonight’ back to the original partners.
