Iredumare Opeyemi is a young Nigerian lawyer that has used technology to advance his career while making a creative enterprise out of his passions. As the head of the legal team at Boomplay, his job includes working with entertainers using information technology. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, he shares his experience so far and his dreams of making young people like him see the importance of keying into global trends in business.
While It seems you have found your path in life and you are currently living your dream, many may want to ask what spurred your decision to major in Entertainment Law?
Living my dream? I guess that’s the outward perception. My dream is beyond entertainment law. My dream is to create a platform or be part of the platform that creates an environment where every Nigerian and African Child’s dream can be valid. Every Nigerian Child is a creative being, it’s part of our DNA. Although I am well known in the entertainment law circle, my major is beyond entertainment law. I hold a Master’s degree in Internet/telecommunications Law and policy. So, you can say I majored in Intellectual property law and cyberspace.
Nigerians must vote APC out of power ― Saraki
My decision to choose these majors as fields of practice was out of my desire to become a fore advocate for enabling dreams come to reality for creative people around me. While in the university, I owned and managed several SME businesses spanning across music recording, fashion, talent management, and interestingly food; Asun, to be precise. By the time I was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2013, I already owned three studio albums released under my start-up label, as well as tried my hand at various businesses.
On entering the labour market fully, nothing else gave me satisfaction and inner peace than representing talented people and exploring creative avenues for people with such skills to earn a living, and be happy while doing what they love.
You have always had an interest in music and art-related jobs. But you studied Law at the university. Why law?
Interestingly, my mother didn’t even want me to study Law. She wanted me to be a doctor. She was of the opinion that a lawyer’s job is as dangerous as those of security officials, which is a high risk field. Her fear might have been born of the fact that my late father was in the Nigeria Police. While I was a science student, I have always desired to be in the Arts and it was obvious to everyone around me, including my teachers. I doubled as both the head of Junior Engineers and Technicians Students Club (JETS Club), as well as the Debaters’ Club. This made the school appoint me as Assistant Senior Boy and Social Prefect.
I think these roles changed my life entirely as it further solidified my interest in the Arts. My maternal uncle of blessed memory, (who was more like a father to me), was not convinced of my interest in Arts but he encouraged us to pursue our interests so he was able to persuade my mum to let me pursue my interests in Arts. This was only based on one condition: that I study Law. Hence, I found myself studying Law in the University.
At what point in your life did the passion to work with talents and nurturing them start for you?
As mentioned earlier, it was while studying Law at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University.
It was not a hard decision, was it?
No it wasn’t. Till date, I still get asked how I was able to combine both in the university without one suffering setbacks.
Looking at the Nigerian music industry and what some people described as the lack of depth in songs and deliveries. What do you make out of it?
Lack of depth? I don’t think that is true . Music is like food, the taste differs. I think it is our ingrained attitude to always compare our ways to that of the western world that leads to such statements . We are a people of sound, vibes, dance and rhythm. Our music, by culture, doesn’t require a lot of words. Like metal rock, emphasis is placed on the sound and not the lyrics. Again, Nigerian music is so diverse and there’s something for everyone if you look well enough.
From the look of things and judging by your experience on the field, what do you think Nigerian musicians lack and why does it seem they don’t care?
Innate knowledge of what they are getting into, particularly the business side of music . This is due to the complex nature of the business . It requires a lot of paper work and documentation . I don’t agree that they don’t care, and background plays an important factor. Take a look at Me Eazi for example, he is very hands on with his career and is a first class example of an ideal artiste. You can also see human capacity development as regards talent in the DMW camp. So, it is not something that cuts across board; but rather, it is relative.
Your job has taken you to a number of African countries, where you have had the privilege to interact with great minds and wanna-be stars. Is there any hope for these lads in terms of getting platforms to showcase their stuff?
Where there is life, there is hope. I think governments across Africa are waking up to the reality of human capacity inadequacies and are putting effort into developing human capacity in the creative sector. I strongly believe they can do better by collaborating on different strategies that have been tested to see what works and what areas need improvement. This will help create platforms for this great minds and future stars.
Also with Africa becoming the future of global investment, despite the political instability and security challenges, I believe more and more private independent platforms will emerge for Creatives to hone their skills and in addition make more money.
You lead the legal, finance and Acquisition for Boomplay Music in Africa. What does this mean to You?
An opportunity to serve Africa. A chance to use my skills, know-how and expertise to create opportunities for Africans in Africa. I see it as a privilege to unite and collaborate Africans in pushing a collective agenda of creating revenue sources for artistes and creatives across board.
How hard is your job and what kind of opportunity does it bring to the African people?
Tedious and challenging, considering cultural, language and political barriers . However I constantly consult for government agencies and private companies by finding indigenous tailor-made solutions to these barriers. The opportunities my job and role bring to Africans I interact and deal with are limitless; from the human capacity development by training Staff, artistes, music business executives, government agencies to creating additional revenue streams for talents and creatives.
You seem to be up to a lot and have your hands in different pies even at your age. How are you dealing with these commitments and the attendant pressure?
Passion and Excellence. I was raised by a father who demanded nothing but excellence from his kids. So whatever you cannot deliver excellence on, you weren’t even encouraged to venture into it. So I ensure to delegate and communicate adequately in whatever I am involved. I am either in or out. There is no middle ground for me.
Do you think you have been lucky in life or you can say you worked your way to the top?
I really don’t want to say this because it is quite cliche. However due respect must be given to Almighty Allah. That said, I actually am still working my way up to the top with a whole lot of partners, associate and friends. Success is not a one man show . So whatever success I achieve is a cumulative aggregate of efforts which I was opportuned to lead. It’s never about me alone.
How do you reconcile the torrential numbers of complaints arising from intellectual theft and copyrights infringement?
Sigh! In the current situation of Nigeria and Africa today, we usually just have to go out of the traditional route because from my perspective no one wins in intellectual litigation battle. It is usually time consuming , expensive and brand tarnishing which every you want to look at it. However, there are cases where the courts must step in. I can tell you both strategies has been 100% successful in my line of work. Unfortunately , that’s a trade secret I cannot share.
The issue of contact face-off between label owners and artists have become a usual occurrence. What’s the way out of the quagmire?
Information ! Both parties need to up their knowledge data base on how they can perform and deal with each other better. 99.9 Percent of Artiste -Label disputes at its core is caused by ignorance. Such as “Let see how it goes” contractual agreements, employment of larger than life fraudulent managers, engaging land lawyers , running ego-driven style of business and particularly trying to control the creative skills of the Artistes to the label’s detriment. On the Artiste side of things; seeking public judgement over practical solution and justice.
The Boom play platform has become a popular brand that it is said to host more than 5 million materials in a month or more. How is the company coping with the huge task?
Making sure to employ the best professionals in the music business and technology space is vital to running a business like Boomplay Music. You cannot have incompetent people run such a sensitive business .
Tell us about life in school and how hard or smooth it was for you as u undergraduate?
Life in school was not all that smooth nor hard. It was purely a ride of discovery. A constant battle between following dreams and understanding that career supersedes dreams in the Nigerian terrain because the later will guarantee you survival while the former is a huge risk and can end in depression.
I was mocked by many in the University for being involved in several creative businesses and wondering if law would ever be my career. Even my girlfriend then thought I was being unrealistic with life. Her words still linger “You are in your own world, you alone understand your ambitious self “. Then I can also remember a classmate telling my course adviser “He doesn’t need to go to law school, he doesn’t need it. He already has something he is doing with his life. Somebody else who has only law should be given that opportunity” . I was seen as being crazy and ambitious with unrealistic goals.
This continued even fresh out of law school. My partner; Oyinkansola Fawehinmi and I were in the middle of negotiations with a former classmate on the opposing side. In the middle of negotiation with me discussing terms and models she didn’t seem to understand she just said “I don’t even know what entertainment law means, do we have that in our legal system. You are still fooling yourself” right in there in the presence of both our clients.
Still while in university, I learnt that people will always find it hard to accept what they don’t understand, not use to and cannot comprehend particularly in a society where education doesn’t really seem to uplift our thinking nor change our perception. It is just a way to make ends meet . I also learnt the secret , there is a unifying point between dreams and career no matter how extreme both can be. I mean David Solomon is a professional DJ (“Dj D-Sol”) and he is the CEO of Goldman Sachs. I can also tell you now that he will be the best CEO Goldman Sachs has ever have. I have come to understand that there is always a chain of priority with everything and you are allowed to make it flexible at every given point in time.
When and how did you make your first million ?
LOL! I was 24 years old. I have never shared this with anyone before. I made my first one million from an aggregate savings from several businesses I ran back then while in school. I owned a meat roast , grill and serve business (popularly know as Asun and Suya) . I would go to my home town which was right next to the city where my university was located , I would get contract for servings at events and royal functions (My Late Father ; Ayinde Oladapo Ojengbede was the Salaro of Ijesaland ) and then outsource and manage it . It was a stressful one but I loved making money and then it became way easier with the emergence of internet and BBM as I would be in school and serving 3-4 events on a great weekend without my academics suffering any setback.
At another point in time , I started product designing and consulting for a fellow student who was into creative Fashion. I named the brand “Aso-Aje” back then . I would rock it with pride and conveniently people would buy it off my neck . I did this till about two years after my call to practice as a lawyer.
While in my third year, I built my first recording studio which was the first proper digital recording studio to be owned by a Student of OAU( A law student precisely) Shortly after , I also was the first person in OAU to own a label imprint and groom Artists under it . At the time several reknown artistes today used to come around to record. Some of them include Chinko Ekun, Viruz Zamora and Oladips .
At another point in time while in my fourth year in university, I invested in Palm Oil business where I funded buying directly from the makers in several communities around Ile-ife and in Benin in preparation for the festive season . It was a very lucrative business for me and I am still looking forward to getting back into all these businesses to create jobs in the nearest future.
Looking at your journey so far, what can you say has worked positively for you?
Excellence, integrity , passion and respecting women did the magic and is still doing the trick. You cannot go far in life if you don’t respect and accord women equal opportunity, right and voice .This is because at every point in time I have had to work with one woman or the other to achieve all those cool success story. I am currently led in my career by Oyinkansola Fawehinmi; an exceptional lady of excellence.
Will you quit Boom play if another big offer is placed on your laps?
I can never quit Boomplay . It is a platform that creates revenue for creatives not just Artistes only and I am a creative person with my artistic hat . However I am an employee and as regards that a bigger offer will only stop me from being an employee with Boomplay.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Dealing with Artiste and their ego driven, arrogant and ignorant management team. It is a very challenging task when you have to deal with humans who come to the table with a lose or win mentality . In the new age of Music Business, everyone can win . In fact everyone can win over and over from just a single transaction.
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