Ghanaian musician Trigmatic has revealed how he narrowly escaped a record deal with a UK-based label early in his career.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM, he shared how the offer seemed like a dream come true but, upon legal review, turned out to have major pitfalls.
The Tempting Offer
At the height of his song “My Life”, Trigmatic caught the attention of an international record label, which flew him to the UK to check out their studios.
“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 very big artiste globally, and they were always coming to Ghana,” he shared.
His determination to connect with their A&R, who had worked with Julian Marley, paid off. A year later, when the team returned to Ghana for a major event, Trigmatic had already become a star.
“The guy was shocked about how I had become so big within a year. Then wanted us to talk about the conversation I brought up earlier about working with them,” he said.
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The Contract That Almost Trapped Him
The label, known for signing top global acts, had a Ghanaian-born superstar and one of the biggest female musicians in the world on its roster. Trigmatic believed the deal could take him international, but there was a catch—he had to relocate.
“When I got the contact, I would have signed [if I didn’t have a lawyer] because at the time I was having my issues with my former manager Godfred. And they wanted me to relocate,” he admitted.
His lawyer, however, spotted loopholes in the contract that could have locked him into an unfair deal.
“That is where he showed me the holes in the contract and how long I would have been there for, some of the things I would have gone through,” he said.
Dodging a Career Setback
Looking back, Trigmatic is relieved he didn’t rush into the deal. He has observed how other artistes who signed with the label ended up being sidelined.
“But would I have still been there after 15 years, 10 years after? The same way they shelved other people, I am sure they would have done to me. Because of how they have moved to other artistes,” he reflected.
His experience taught him a valuable lesson about the music industry.
“Sometimes we don’t have to rush. Sometimes it is not about the glam,” he noted.
For young musicians, his story serves as a reminder—big deals aren’t always the best deals.
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