Veteran Tanzanian music producer Joachim Kimaryo, alias Master J has issued a strong warning to up-and-coming artistes, saying poor understanding of contracts remains one of the biggest problems pushing musicians into long-term financial loss.
Speaking in a recent interview, the producer said many artistes sign recording deals worth millions of shillings without consulting lawyers, only to later discover they have lost control of their music and earnings.
According to Master J, the issue is not a lack of opportunity, but a failure to prioritise legal protection at the most critical stage of an artist’s career.
“I honestly don’t understand artists when it comes to contracts,” he said. “You are signing a deal worth millions, but you fail to spend Sh100,000 or Sh300,000 to consult a lawyer. That is where the problem starts.”
He said legal advice is essential in helping artistes understand what they are agreeing to before committing their signatures.
“When you take a contract to a lawyer, you protect yourself from being exploited,” he said. “It is better to share that responsibility with a professional who understands the law.”
Master J noted that many artists rush to sign contracts because of immediate financial pressure, without considering the long-term consequences.
“The hunger is now, the problems are now, but artistes forget to think about the future,” he said. “When fame finally comes and you go back to read that contract, that’s when the pain begins.”
He explained that some contracts allow record labels to own an artist’s entire catalogue, including future works, a clause many musicians fail to fully understand at the time of signing.
“You realise that someone else is earning from your masters because you signed away your rights,” he said. “That is when artistes start to suffer.”
The producer said such situations later force artistes to spend large sums of money trying to regain ownership of their work, often through long and painful legal battles.
