Burna Boy Faces Legal Battle With A Music Group Over Early Songs Deal That Worth Multi-Million Dollars – SIXT-MEDIA LANE
Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy is at the centre of a fresh legal dispute after a key shareholder in his former record label sought to nullify a controversial multi-million dollar catalogue deal.
According to reports monitored by SIXT-MEDIALANE, 960 Music Group has filed a case requesting the court to invalidate the alleged sale of Burna Boy’s early music catalogue, claiming the transaction occurred without its knowledge or consent. SIXT-MEDIA LANE reports,
The controversy stems from a 2024 deal in which Aristokrat Music, the label that helped launch Burna Boy’s career, allegedly transferred ownership of the singer’s early intellectual property and master recordings to Spaceship Music, the imprint associated with Burna Boy and his mother, Bose Ogulu.
However, 960 Music — which reportedly holds approximately 40 percent equity in Aristokrat Music — maintains that the sale violated corporate governance protocols.
In court documents, the company described the assets as the label’s “crown jewel” and argued that the transfer was conducted without board authorisation or shareholder approval.
The dispute has reportedly escalated beyond civil litigation, with the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) filing charges against Aristokrat founder Piriye Isokrari over alleged financial misconduct connected to the catalogue transaction.
Isokrari is accused of fraudulent conversion and breach of fiduciary duty, with claims that proceeds from the sale were diverted or handled outside official company structures.
960 Music alleges that the deal was executed privately with Spaceship Music, effectively sidelining other shareholders and partners in Aristokrat Music.
Industry experts note that as global artists seek to reclaim ownership of early masters, legal challenges over transfer and governance processes can delay or reverse these efforts.
Should the court rule in favour of 960 Music, ownership of some of Burna Boy’s breakout-era songs could revert to the original partnership structure, pending further judicial decisions.
Observers say the case could have significant implications for Burna Boy’s control over his early hits, as well as broader conversations about artist rights and label governance in Nigeria’s music industry
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