There’s more to entertainment than jumping on stage and looking good on the red carpet. The beautiful life of Audu Maikori asserts this claim as he is the unseen backbone behind some of Nigeria’s finest artists.
Chocolate City
Entertainment did not begin immediately for him though. Even when it did, it wasn’t the performing that drew him to the industry but the beauty of entertainment itself. Sometime in 1997, when Audu was a student in the University of Jos, he and six of his friends had been discussing the possibility of setting up a club in the school to liven up the semester.
It was Audu who suggested naming the club “Chocolate City” and his deeply-pleased friends accepted unanimously. Chocolate City became a big rave till its last show in 1999 with over 2000 attendants. Other schools caught the bug and went to form their own “Chocolate Cities”.
In 2003, he registered Chocolate City as a record label, recording studio, events consultancy, and artist management company. He had enlisted his old time partner Paul Okeugo and his brother Yahaya (who is also co-owner of Maikori’s Chinese restaurant Oriental Express) as directors on the board.
Their first show held in 2004 was a flop thanks to an accidental firearm discharge by a careless policeman. They had partnered with British American Tobacco in the University of Jos. Despite the huge financial loss, the Choc City team did not give up.
They persisted in their goal to promote music in Nigeria and in 2005 got Jeremiah Gyang as the first musical act signed on the team. It was Jeremiah who introduced M.I to Audu before he got signed in 2006. Other artistes later signed to the team include: Other artistes signed included Jesse Jagz, Djinee, Ice Prince, Brymo,Dj Caise, Pryse, Victoria Kimani, Dice Ailes and Koker.
Chocolate City took a corporate restructure in 2002 and was then made up of four groups to include: Chocolate City Music, Chocolate City Media, Chocolate City Distribution and STM. Audu appointed as President of the group.
However, on June 31 this year, using his Twitter page, Audu announced his exit as CEO of Chocolate City Music and the appointment of M.I as the new CEO of Chocolate City Music, with Ice Prince Zamani as the Vice President of the music label.
Barrister Audu
It will interest you to know that our former Chocolate City boss is a trained lawyer. Born on August 13, 1975 as the third out of the five children of Adamu Maikori and Laiatu Gyet Maude, a princess of the ancient Jaba royal family, Audu took the line of his lawyer-politician father to practise law.
The Kaduna-born indigene from Jaba Local Government had been raised in Lagos. There, he attended Adrao International School and King’s College before obtaining his Law degree from the University of Jos in 1999. He went on to obtain his Bachelor of Laws from the Law School, Abuja.
Two years later, he was called to the bar and began his legal career as an Associate with Chief Afe Babalola SAN & Co where he worked from 2001 till 2003. It was the bonus he was paid there in 2003 he used to register Chocolate City.
Law and Music
Even with the music business, Audu still practised Law. Interestingly, he had found a good meeting place for both passions.
In 2002, he teamed up with his elder brother, Yahaya Maikori, to start Law Allianz, a firm of legal practitioners based in Lagos and Abuja which focused on intellectual property. He has however resigned from Law Allianz to concentrate on other business affairs.
In 2007, he co-organized the first Nigerian International Music Summit aimed at establishing a legal and regulatory framework for the Nigerian music industry. He was elected to serve in Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).
Audu had also managed Asa and served as her attorney to represent her in respect of her contractual issues with her record label.
His Accolades
Audu is an award-winning entrepreneur with many national and international awards to his credit. Some include: International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY), Entertainment Executive of the year, Creative Entrepreneur of the Year for Music, Creative Entrepreneur of the Year for Music, Enterprise Award for Entertainment and City People Magazine Special Recognition for outstanding contribution to the Nigerian music industry among others.
As a lawyer, he is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK, International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association and International Bar Association (IBA).
When it is not law and music, Audu Maikori is a social activist with great passion for mentoring youths. This is probably why he has been invited as a judge in many programmes including Nigerian Idol, United Kingdom Young Music Entrepreneur, British Council Young Creative Enterprise series in Nigeria, Etisalat Prize for Innovation and SheLeadsAfrica competition.
In November 2014, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Leadership Institute(NLI).
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