Artistes problem with record labels is greed "Louisa Williams"

2shortz, Waconzy, among other top artistes, Louiza Williams, who is currently the Head Artiste Manager at G-Worldwide record label, speaks to DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI, on her passion, challenges, and relationship with old signee Kiss Daniel and other issues. Excerpts

As an artiste manager, what is your management style?

My management style is innovative and calculative, not doing away with flexibility, because managing artistes requires flexibility and precision in decision-making. My goal is to sell the brand to the outside world by grooming and developing my artistes so as to increase their market value, then stimulate potential aggregate demand in order to make business out of it. Reasons for show business despite the creativity and talent involved is exchange. I mean money. If there’s no exchange then it’s no business for Louiza Williams. Perhaps, one of the reasons I’m being called ‘LOUI MONEY’ by the people around me. (Laughs).

How did the journey start?

Well, the journey started for me first as a hobby. I never saw myself becoming a manager but I was acting in that capacity. I was around creatives and acting in the capacity of a manager unknowingly. I’m very passionate about talents and I barely take my eyes off when I eventually get in contact with any. I always try as much as I can to support in one way or the other just to see the talent grow. I mean I personally enjoy the growth process of talents, especially music artistes because of the challenges that come with grooming and developing an artiste from when he or she was relatively unknown until the talent attains a mega star stage.

There’s this inner joy that comes with it, so people around me started calling me manager since when I was in the university (University of Calabar). I ran into ace comedian Klint Da Drunk, at an event in Uyo. He saw the skill, passion and drive in me. Then we exchanged contacts and he introduced me to his manager sometime in 2010, if I am not mistaken, where I headed a division of his management company, Spadez Management. I managed the likes of MC Galaxy, Shortcut and other talented folks under Klint Da Drunk’s management. I later moved on to manage Waconzy until 2014. A month after, I had decided to take a break from managing the Waconzy brand. Through referrals, I got to manage G-Worldwide Entertainment artistes Kizz Daniel and Sugarboy until date, before Kiss Daniel’s exit from the label. GWW remains my family and we now have a very talented singer, Ajura. He’s coming up really strong. Watch out for him in the year 2020.

Managing artistes can be tasking. How do you create time for yourself?

Yes, managing artistes can be very tasking and how I create time for myself is simply about time management which is very essential to me. So, I set my time table of task for each day and follow it strictly. That helps me in setting time for my personal affairs as well.

When did you officially start with G-Worldwide?

When I officially started working with G-Worldwide Entertainment was in the year 2014.

Most managers usually are committed to a particular artiste. Why is your commitment to the record label?

Most managers usually are committed to a particular artiste, but why I’m committed to the record label instead is because my major obligation as a manager is to attain organisational goals and not just artiste’s goals.

You first introduced Kiss Daniel to me, what went wrong?

Yes, I did introduce Kiss Daniel to you sometime in December 2014, and nothing went wrong. After then, we groomed, managed and promoted him to stardom and nothing went wrong…Hahhahah! Anyways, it is what it is and whatever you feel went wrong will be corrected in due time.

Do you still communicate with Kiss Daniel despite being at odds with G-Worldwide?

If we still communicate? Yes we do when necessary.

What do you see as the problem with artistes and labels they start-off with?

What I see as the problem with artistes and record labels they started -off with is not different from the fact that ‘human wants are insatiable.’ We are constantly wanting more, if not possibly all, except for self-control. But I will term it impatience and greed in most cases and nothing more.

Is all your time dedicated only to the label? Any personal project?

I wouldn’t say all my time is dedicated to the label only, because I make myself available only when it comes to the business of the label. And regarding any personal project, for sure, I do have some personal projects that will be unveiled in time.