Nigerian musician, Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk popularly known as Iyanya has said that his former business partner and friend, Ubi Franklin betrayed him, causing his departure from the record label, Made Men.
In a recent interview with NdaniTv Iyanya talked about his music career, the fall out with his former record label, which he co-owned with Ubi Franklin and how Don Jazzy gave him his life back.
Speaking on the reason he left his former record label, Triple MG, the “Kukere” crooner said, “What people don’t know is, I didn’t sell my share. People see me and say oh. why did you sell your share? I didn’t sell my shares, I left Made Men at the time because there was so much darkness. In the midst of all the wings, I decided to let that go.”
The singer further revealed that it was Don Jazzy who helped him during his difficult time by giving him the Mavin platform.
“Mavin was … shout out to Jazzy, Jazzy gave me that platform to put music out because I left Made Men and I didn’t want anything from Made Men, so Jazzy just said look, man, you’ve built something over the years and starting all over is not going to be as easy as you think, so just put out music from here and work on something.”
According to Iyanya, his association with Mavin records was the primary reason people thought he had signed a deal with them. He revealed he did not sign but it was just Don Jazzy showing him love just before his new record label, “Temple music” came calling.
“So people really thought I signed to Mavin but it wasn’t like a legal signing, it was just love. And then Temple Music came, when Temple music came, I loved the vision, I loved the dream and I was like Okay, let me try this, and that was when I released “Up To Something,” “Hold On,” I mean, “Good vibes.” And after that, it was time for me to move, because I felt like I got to the point where I have to put out my own thing, have my own family, have my own team,” he said.
READ ALSO: I Quit My Marriage Three Months After I Got Pregnant – Yvonne Jegede
Iyanya also revealed how he was betrayed by his friend and business partner, Ubi Franklin. Iyanya revealed that he had thought he co-owned the record label but later realised that his name was not on the forms he signed.
“When I said it was darkness, I was not myself anymore because I felt like there was no trust anymore. Because at the time I was singing I co-owned Made Men with Ubi but I later realized that my name was not in any of the forms I signed… and I was broken… and that was the beginning of me just saying to hell with everything.”
Iyanya, 32, revealed that Don Jazzy was his saving grace during those periods that he felt he had lost everything.
“That was healing for me, that was the best time of whole situation I was in, that was the best moment because Jazzy just opened his family and said look, you’re one of us and everybody just showed me that love coz it came from Jazzy. So from Jazzy to Tiwa, to Baby Fresh to everybody, it was just love and that really gave me life because, to be honest with you, I was broken. Like I was broken!”
Iyanya left his former label in 2016 without stating reasons until now.