DJ Cuppy: Why I’m still undervalued in music industry

DJ Cuppy says she’s still underpaid and undervalued in comparison to her male counterparts.

The disc jockey, in an interview excerpt shared via Instagram, spoke of male privilege in the music industry.

She said her kind work twice as hard to get half as much done due to a system she said is skewed against women.

“Going to the male-dominated space, you have to be strong and have the zeal. Women have to work twice as hard to get half as much done. Compared to my male counterparts, I’m still underpaid, undervalued,” the DJ said.

“And, according to them, I have to have a particular aesthetic which I fight to this day. My advice is to be at peace with yourself because men in that industry would tell you that you’re not good enough.

“You have to come at peace with yourself and know that you’re enough. You will have a difficult time if you work just for validation. Do what you love, understand your environment, and build on your strengths.”

In July 2014, DJ Cuppy had released ‘House of Cuppy’ as her first compilation mix in London and Lagos.

With ‘House of Cuppy’, she produced EDM remixes of songs by leading Afropop artistes.

That same year, Cuppy also launched the London-based music management business, Red Velvet Music Group.

In August 2015, Cuppy set off on her first DJ tour to 8 countries in Africa, titled “Cuppy Takes Africa”.

She visited Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa.

In August 2020, she unveiled her debut album ‘Original Copy’.