How I used to cry in Don Jazzy’s room during difficult times — Tiwa Savage

Nigerian singer Tiwatope Savage Balogun, popularly known as Tiwa savage, has shared how she received strong emotional support during her time at Mavin Records, describing the label as a safe and family-like environment during difficult phases of her career.

The Afrobeats star made the revelation in a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan.

Reflecting on her time at Mavin Records, Tiwa Savage said the label, led by Don Jazzy, created a close-knit atmosphere that went beyond a typical business arrangement.

She said, “Who you signed to is very important and I didn’t appreciate it until after I left Mavin. Mavin is still like family. So, if there is something going on, online or whatever, I promise you, I will run to Jazzy’s room and we will all come like, Dr Sid, Tega, Reekado Banks, all of us in the room, on the floor, on the bed. We will talk about it, if I have to cry and whatever and we will get through it.”

According to her, she only fully understood the importance of that emotional backing after leaving the label in 2019 to sign an international deal with Universal Music Group.

Tiwa Savage also compared her experience at Mavin Records with working under a foreign label structure, noting a lack of personal connection in the latter.

“But being with a [foreign] label, they don’t really care about your personal stuff. So, I can’t really go to the Empire office and cry,” she said.

The 46-year-old added that artists should consider more than financial gains and global exposure when choosing a record label.

“I miss that part. I learned that it is really, really important to be really able to discern if whoever you are signing with really, really cares or if you are just (a dollar cheque),” she added.

Tiwa Savage further emphasised that emotional support plays a major role in an artist’s journey in the music industry.

“It makes a difference if they care for you as a person as opposed to just because the minute you stop making the hits,” she said.

Tiwa Savage joined Mavin Records in 2012 and became one of its leading stars before exiting in 2019.