A high-stakes legal fight has put the ownership of Grammy-winning Afro-fusion star Burna Boy‘s early musical works in jeopardy.
960 Music Group, a minority shareholder, has taken legal action to overturn the multimillion-dollar sale of the singer’s catalogue from his former label Aristokrat Music to his current company Spaceship Music.
According to court filings, Aristocrat Music sold the intellectual property and master recordings from Burna Boy’s foundational years to Spaceship Music — owned by the artiste and his mother-manager Bose Ogulu — in a transaction dated May/June 2024.
960 Music Group, which holds a 40% equity stake in Aristokrat Music, claimed it was completely sidelined.
The company alleged the sale was conducted illegally, without its knowledge, consent, or required board approval.
According to Channels TV, the firm has subsequently filed a lawsuit in the federal high court in Port Harcourt seeking to nullify the deal, describing the catalogue as Aristokrat’s “crown jewel asset”.
The civil dispute has spiralled into a criminal investigation. The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has filed charges against Piriye Isokrari, the founder and CEO of Aristokrat Records.
He faces accusations of fraudulent conversion, with investigators alleging that proceeds from the sale were diverted for personal use or funneled outside company accounts. He is also charged with breach of fiduciary duty.
960 Music alleged that Isokrari bypassed corporate governance structures to strike a private deal with Spaceship Music, effectively undermining the interests of the firm’s minority shareholders.
The dispute places Burna Boy’s early catalogue in legal uncertainty. A ruling in favour of 960 Music could force Spaceship Music to relinquish rights the singer’s early hit songs.
