On Wednesday, March 30, 2012 via his personal Facebook account, Jesse
Jagz shocked fans worldwide when he categorically stated that he was
taking a 'voluntary exit from his label Chocolate City '.
His statement:
' I, Jesse Garba Abaga (also known as 'Jesse Jagz') an artist formerly
signed to Chocolate City Music label hereby wishes to notify my fans
and the general public about my voluntary exit from the label.
After my initial two year contractual agreement with Chocolate City, I
do not wish to renew my contract with them and as such have proceeded
to continuemy music career with my new team at Jesse Jagz Nation.
I still maintain a cordial relationship withthe management of
Chocolate City and my former label matesand I wish them the best in
all their future endeavours.
Any further information will be passed across through my publicist but
until then, have a good day. Look out for my sophomore album
JagZNation Vol. 1 coming out in July 2013′.
This comes as a sudden shock to everyone including some staff and
executives at Chocolate City but those in the know will tell you this
was long expected.
Close sources to Jesse Jagz and Chocolate City tell us there had been
an ungoing war between the ' Wetin dey ' singer and the popular label.
Jagz, one source told NET, 'was fed up with the way the label was
handling his career and decided to frustrate them in return.'
Jagz last release was his debut album in May 2010, after then he sort
of went into comatose, save for his production of Ice Prince and
BrymO's albums in 2011 and 2012 and a few minor releases, we might not
have noticed his presence.
' Chocolate City have a one-year/one-artiste project run ', a staff at
Chocolate City tells NET.
(2008-2009 was M.I, then '09-'10 was Jesse, '10-'11 was M.I again,
'11-'12 was Ice Prince, '12-'13 was for Brymo, this year's run '13-'14
was meant to be for Jesse Jagz).
' But Chocolate City signed three new acts– Pryse , Nosa and Victoria
Kimani and started concentrating on the last two when they noticed
Jesse had started giving them trouble ', our source adds.
' Jesse would refuse to go to the label's studio at Lekki Phase 1, he
and the otherchoc boys M.I and Ice Prince had built separate studios
in their Palmgroove, Lagos residence. Jesse just kept making music, a
lot of music, over 100 songs '.
Then there were allegedly two strong claims the label made against '
Jargo '; the first that he owed a lot of money.
'Choc City said Jargo owed them money, there were several cases where
he would travel to the North for a gig and wouldn't bring back
anything to the label. At times, he would claim they paid him just to
appear and that didn't hold under his contractual agreement'.
The second was his alleged substance abuse. There are very strong
claims that Jesse Jagz, a truly talented rapper and producer, is
addicted to Marijuana.
' Everybody smokes 'igbo' but Jesse's own was too much! He would be
reeking of Igbo smell when he came up to the studio to hang out. Don't
you see his Instagram photos, don't you read hisrevolutionary tweets?
He thinks he's Felaor Bob Marley for Christ's sake! '
Sources say Sola Oladebo, Jesse's manager for the last three years, is
tired of the whole situation.
' Sola is tired, fed up but can't leave him now, he has invested too
much time in Jargo. At a time, there was nothing to doas Jesse career
was dormant, so when Choc City fired Ice Prince's former manager in
2012, they made Sola the interim manager '.
We are told till the night of his shocking announcement, elder brother
M.I and the other Choc Boys were unaware of his self-imposed exit. M.I
had just released his comeback single for his next album ' The
Chairman ' when Jesse dropped the bombshell.
' M.I was as shocked as everyone else. He's not happy Jesse didn't
tell him of the situation first. He has erased all thoughts of leaving
Choc City now as a sign to show loyalty ', a friend to M.I says.
An insider told us over the weekend, that the last straw that broke
the camel's back was when Audu Maikori , top exec at the label
summoned him via E-mail, hesimply replied with two words ' F**k You '.
Maikori could not be reached and we're told that following Jagz'
statement, he immediately contacted all staff (includingartistes) and
instructed them not to speak to the press.
Attempts to reach him and other staff at the label through emails,
phone calls andtext messages have been unsuccessful.
Jesse's manager could not be reached for comments as his mobile phone
was switched off.
Will other acts follow suit? An insider tells us ' Watch out for
Brymo, he might also throw in the towel soon too as he has previously
had issues with Vice President of Chocolate City, M.I.
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