Naira Marley has addressed the financial dealings between his record label Marlian Music and his late former signee Mohbad.
Mohbad died under mysterious circumstances on September 12, 2023, sparking nationwide outcry and widespread demands for justice from fans and fellow musicians alike.
In the aftermath, public scrutiny fell heavily on Marley, born Azeez Fashola, and his associate Sam Larry.
In October 2023, Marley and Larry, alongside other suspects, were arrested over allegations that they were involved in the death of Mohbad.
They were, however, released on bail in November of the same year after spending over five weeks in detention.
In February, a Yaba magistrate court cleared Marley, Larry, Prime Boy, and Pere Babatunde, ruling they had “no case to answer” in connection with Mohbad’s death.
In a detailed YouTube video released on Tuesday, Marley asserted that Marlian Music “maintained full transparency in handling Mohbad’s royalties”.
He also said the label has already contacted Mohbad’s lawyer to facilitate the transfer of all owed funds to whomever the family or a court designates.
Marley provided a chronology of their business dealings, noting that in July 2020, Mohbad independently selected his own manager and agreed to a 10% commission, an arrangement the music executive described as “transparent”.
The ‘Soapy’ hitmaker also claimed to have provided significant personal support for Mohbad, including covering expenses for medical checks and medications.
“Not long after that, in December 2022, Mohbad withdrew $72,000 from a DSP partner. All these monies he took were not his. We had to hold some of his royalty payment till he returned the money he took,” he said.
“Our business is plain, even though we got accountants. We did 50-50; this is the first time I’m saying it. I paid for anything and everything and then we split 50-50.
“Marlian Music had contacted Mohbad’s lawyer and was ready to give the late musician’s royalties to whoever the family or court picks.”
The singer also revealed that he was in Amsterdam when Mohbad passed away and only learnt about it through social media.
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