27th April, 2015
Rap and business mogul Jay Z said his new company Tidal has embarked on a talent hunt in Nigeria.
He said the company’s streaming service has a global ambition, revealing that his cousin has arrived Nigeria in search of new talents.
He defended his Tidal streaming service as viable and a boon to artists after a much-criticized start to the revamped company.
“We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow and get better,” Jay Z wrote in one of a volley of messages Sunday on Twitter.
Jay Z earlier this year bought Tidal’s Swedish parent company Aspiro for $56 million amid the rapid growth of streaming services, such as Spotify, Rhapsody and Deezer, which allow unlimited on-demand music.
Jay Z rolled out a redesigned service on March 30 at a New York event featuring fellow stars including Madonna, Daft Punk, Kanye West and his wife Beyonce.
The artists said that they wanted to take charge of streaming’s future, amid criticism by musicians — notably superstar Taylor Swift — that industry leader Spotify offers insufficient compensation.
But a number of critics, including British band Mumford and Sons, voiced dismay at Tidal’s launch and especially the sight of highly paid stars complaining about payments.
Jay Z hit back and accused unnamed “big companies” of spending millions of dollars in a smear campaign against Tidal.
“Tidal pays (a) 75 percent royalty rate to ALL artists, writers and producers — not just the founding members on stage,” he wrote, saying that independent artists could keep 100 percent if they worked directly with the company.