Apala hip-hop artiste, Terry Alexandar Ejeh, better known as Terry Apala has revealed why he declined to join Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records and Spaceship, Burna Boy’s record label.

He said his mother advised him to be the face of any label he signs to.

Terry said despite opportunities with Don Jazzy and Burna Boy, he chose Nelson Jack, a record label where he could be the main artiste.

He said: “I was the problem, my mum said something to me, she said ‘your kind of music is different from what your colleagues are doing. If you are gonna be in any record label, you are to be the face.

“So I met Don Jazzy in 2015, like a week after we met he sent me the contract, but I could not sign it because I already knew where I was coming from.

“That same 2015 I got a call from Burna Boy’s mum, like Burna Boy is there already. I cannot be the second face, I have to be the face.

“So in 2015, I got signed to Nelson Jack because I was the face. I had issues with the record label from the call, they said I am not allowed to drop songs I think for like a year or two. I was not allowed to do anything, no interviews, no shows, like I was not allowed to do anything.”

Speaking on challenges he faced and how he came through, he said: “Two years ago, I wasn’t doing anything. I had an issue with the record label, and the court told me that I was not allowed to drop songs for a year or two. I was not allowed to have any interviews or shows.

“All I was doing was to record new songs in my home studio. I was not functioning, I went through hell, but I am back.

“At one point, I was begging for food to eat. But this whole thing taught me more about life. Sometimes, life is always wicked, you have to know what you want. Thank God for the Apala fusion because if I was doing like other sounds, Terry Apala would have gone.”