George Britton has bemoaned the lack of professionalism in the local music industry.

He observed, for years, “we were not operating this as business but we were operating it with so much emotions attached”.

He emphasised the necessity of “a contract” to protect the “investments” of both music executives and their signees.

To artistes who overhype their value in comparison to the investor’s, the GB Records founder noted: “You might think you have a talent. My talent is also putting money on the table for us to get results.”

Britton, thus, advocated mutual respect and appreciation in record executive and musician relations.

He cited how, particularly “in the past,” artistes unceremoniously ended music deals and went scot-free because “as talent managers, music producers and all that, we have not really activated the laws”.

“So, hardly do you hear a label fighting an artiste or an artiste fighting a label in court,” he said, noting recent exceptions.

Britton stressed allegations of ungratefulness on the part of both executives and artistes can be avoided or better managed if contracts are signed and respected.

Furthermore, he advocated executives and artistes keep a cordial relationship after their contracts come to end.

“What I want us all to do is to behave like proper businessmen,” George Britton appealed.

“If I sign a deal with you and we exhaust the deal, if I want to continue, I will, if not, I will move away. It doesn’t make you my enemy,” the creative strategist said.

He cited how his four-year contract with Afrobeats star Camidoh has ended but “it doesn’t make Camidoh my enemy – I still support him but in an unofficial capacity”.

After “15 years of my career” as a talent manager, he noted, “I feel I need to build a brand that will also help [even] more talents” and so he is enrolled in a university programme in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, he is still friends with all the artistes he has managed in the past, he said, including Hiplife star Akoo Nana who “is in my house here in London almost every time because we’re working on another thing – not just music [and] every now and then I’m on the phone with Dr Knii Lante, the musician”.

He underlined the lack of “bad blood” between him and all his former signees (Akoo Nana, Keche, Knii Lante, Camidoh) is because of the presence and respect for a contract.

“If you feel a contract is demeaning do not sign it and later [complain],” he admonished. 

George Britton spoke to Prince Benjamin on Class 91.3 FM’s Class Morning Show (CMS).