African music has now surged ahead in global music and these achievements can be attributed to certain powerhouses in which Troniq Music is one of them. With its stellar record, Troniq Music has boosted popular musicians such as Oxlade, Kohdee, PITA, and SOLIS.
Oxlade moved ahead to release one of the most popular songs in 2022 titled “KU LO SA”. When released in 2022, “KU LO SA” was the 6th most-listened-to song on radio with 800 million impressions. And in 2023, “KU LO SA” still garnered 700 million radio impressions making it the 34th most listened-to song that year.
Apart from promoting the artistic experience and identity of their artistes, Troniq Music's approach includes devoting their time to discovering, developing their artistes, and assisting them in finding their unique and authentic sounds. Troniq Music was founded by Godfrey Eguakun and is upheld by his amazing team.
In a recent interview with TurnTable Charts, we gathered insights on the dynamics of Troniq Music. The Director of Operations, Eniola Aina (Giovanni), Human Resources/ Administration Director, Ijeoma Monye and Director of Legal, Prince Orji discussed the record label, their work strategies, and memorable achievements.
TTC: Could you start by introducing yourself and your background?
Giovanni: My name is Giovanni and I’ve been involved in music and its business for over 10 years now. I also had my university degree in music from the University of Lagos. I fell in love with music mostly because I’ve always been around it all my life. My dad being a classical composer, I used to go to the studio a lot, Ojb’s studio in Surulere and got to see a lot of the creative process behind creating music stars.
Prince Orji: My name is Prince. I'm 32 years old and Uchechi’s husband. I'm a lawyer specialising in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law. First of 3 kids and a fan of Anime, Liverpool, and RPGs. A simple person aspiring to become a household name in the media and entertainment industry (side eye to the fellow who was asking if I am new in the industry).
Ijeoma: My name is Ijeoma Monye. A seasoned music executive with over 13 years of experience in artiste management and public relations within the entertainment industry. I’m a graduate of the University of Calabar and have successfully managed artists and executed PR campaigns for various high-profile celebrities. Currently, I’m serving as the HR Director at a leading record label, Troniq Inc.
TTC: Can you describe how you began working with Troniq Music?
Giovanni: Troniq Music was formed in 2019 and expanded in 2022. I’ve basically been around since its inception.
Prince Orji: Godfrey was looking to fill the position of Legal and Business Manager and a colleague who kept saying I needed to do more in the entertainment industry made the connection to Godfrey. We got on a call and midway, Godfrey and I agreed we would work together but just needed to figure out the terms. I was to resume later, but due to Wahala always finding lawyers, I had to resume a month earlier than agreed. One week after resumption, I had to ask what I got myself into. A little pep talk with other industry veterans on the challenges made adjusting to my role much easier.
Ijeoma: Being the first employee of Troniq Music, established in 2019 has been a significant milestone in my career. The experience of contributing to the company's growth and development has been both rewarding and enriching
TTC: Having represented numerous celebrities, could you share a memorable experience from that work?
Giovanni: Lots of experience but one major one I can remember is working on “Mr Money” in 2020 with Asake –the video process and everything.
Prince: Ah. Where do I start? There is one that sticks out not because I did any “actual work” nor was it one of the numerous travel experiences but because it was rather personal. Without going into details, I had a wish that a song by a client would be a global hit. In fact, I made efforts to play that song for people on the day of release (Jerry, Tega, and Spencer are my witnesses). Most people would have picked another song off that EP with a more prominent artist as a feature but I couldn’t hear what they heard. Mannnnnnn when the song I picked blew up, I was beyond pleased. Even now, I can’t keep my composure whenever the song comes on and you wouldn’t either. Essentially, I bought into the product the client sold which has remained a key aspect of my practice. I will take your work "personal".
TTC: What are your key operational strategies, and how do you measure your success?
Giovanni: Drawing up a map of where we are and where we want to be. Then, we set targets. It could be streams, live plays, brand partnerships or whichever one works out. It becomes successful at that point.
Prince Orji: Staying proactive with clients, that’s it. You’re there to provide a service anticipating the client’s needs and immediately satisfying that need. Everything else is based on identifying the need. On how I measure my success, my employer trusts my judgement and friends know I can stay objective with them. Someone I look up to says I know what I am doing and my wife says she is proud of me, so I must be doing something right then. Yes, I like my external validations.
Ijeoma: Resource allocation, goal setting, and team communication are the elements that help drive success in an organization. I measure success by client satisfaction and project completion, most importantly when strategies align with the company’s goal, it helps in achieving positive results.
TTC: With your extensive experience working with celebrities, how do you prioritize and manage your tasks?
Giovanni: First of all, we prioritize everyone we work with and we create a balance where we work on each project as if it were our last. This is because we do it out of passion.
Prince Orji: All tasks are important but I can decide what to cross off next based on either deadline, complexity, or depth. However, I try to stay aware of it all. When working with celebrities, it's important to be flexible. Things and conversations can change quickly, so I roll with them and avoid getting too stressed. A relaxed approach often leads to better results in the long run. So, if you need to put something aside, do it.
Ijeoma: I prioritize my tasks, as some are more urgent than others while allocating time accordingly. Checklists and calendars help me in the organization of carrying out various tasks.
TTC: Is there a particular achievement in your career that you consider especially significant?
Giovanni: I think everything I’ve achieved along the way is quite significant because I don’t count my wins.
Prince Orji: One of my most significant achievements was negotiating and closing my first publishing deal. We spent months on catalogue clean-up and a few more to get the deal to the point that it made sense for all sides. It involved a network of professionals across countries and time zones. Honestly, being a crucial cog in the machine felt very nice.
Ijeoma: Being part of Troniq and working on Oxlade's projects has been really fulfilling and exciting for me.