Ugandan music icon and Big Talent Entertainment CEO Eddy Kenzo has shocked fans after revealing that he turned down multi-million-dollar offers from some of the biggest record labels in the world — Sony Music, Warner Music, Disney, and Universal Music Group.
Speaking during an interview on NBS After 5, the Sitya Loss star disclosed that Warner Music even offered him USD $1 million, but he still chose to remain independent.
Kenzo explained that although major labels promise global exposure and huge investments, many artists end up trapped in restrictive contracts.
According to him, most labels recover their money firs plus interest before an artist ever earns, making the deals feel more like long-term loans.
“If I signed with them, I would basically sell my catalogue for years. They milk you until they get their money back. Even when the contract expires, it stays valid until their goal is achieved,” Kenzo emphasized.
He pointed to Nigerian star Tekno Miles as an example of how big label deals can derail an artist’s momentum rather than elevate it.
The BET award winner says that freedom both creative and contractual is worth more than millions.
He believes independence allows him to control his music, his brand, and his legacy without being tied down.
Kenzo also addressed critics who questioned his recent Grammy nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for his song Hope and Love.
Some Ugandans mocked the nomination because the song has only 82,000+ views, far fewer than other nominated tracks.
But Kenzo insisted that streams don’t determine Grammy nods.
“Most of the people criticizing the song don’t even know 1% of the songs nominated in this category,” he stated.
Eddy Kenzo is proving once again that he is fearless, independent, and committed to owning his craft even if it means turning down million-dollar deals from the world’s biggest music giants.
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