We are building an entertainment empire in the Southeast – Matt Obinna

The music industry in Nnewi seems to be lagging behind unlike its rivals in the western part of the country. In a chat with a guru in the industry, Mr Matt Obinna Chukwudi the CEO of

Mattz studios who having lost his father, dropped out of secondary school in SS1 precisely to handle his father’s business of automobile spare parts.

However, due to the unhappiness coming from the venture – as he was not passionate about it, Mr Matt Obinna left the business and moved to Enugu in pursuit of his passion. He came back to set up his first mini-studio in his bedroom where he kicked-off with miniature productions free for his friends until in 2006 when he had his first big break from ‘battle axe’ project with Evangelist Dan Ike.

How did you venture into music production?
I went into music production in July 2004 and it has not been an easy journey so far. It is not really all about business and financial profit as it has gone a long way to help the talented youths discover their true path in the industry.

How challenging is it, knowing that Lagos attracts the finest of talents due to the support for the industry?

It is obvious that Lagos is the hub of entertainment in Nigeria, no doubt, but the notion that success in entertainment is limited solely to Lagos as a location is not only untrue but only a mere collective and individual mindset of the people. The location is a contributing factor not a determinant of one’s success story because the basic and primary condiments to the ‘soup’ of success both in entertainment and other spheres of life include: commitment, focus, and the determination of the person in question.

What can be said of governments support in the entertainment industry?

In one way or the other, the government has been supportive of the entertainment industry in Nnewi, though I can’t pinpoint any particular financial aspect of their support, as we will be grateful though if, in the future, the government offers to support us.
In order to bring home those attractive opportunities in the west and make them obtainable here, a lot would need to be put in place: A friendly collaboration with some household entertainment brands housed in the east and joining hands in pari passu towards achieving the goal is very important. There is also the need for organizing empowerment programmes (with the backing of the collaboration), to aid growth in entertainment just the way they have in Lagos. Some of these programmes include music schools, production schools, media houses.; as essential as they are, they are lacking in the east.

How do you cope with business competition?

In the area of competition in business, there is always competition and competitors, as one cannot have it all. The competition should not be seen as a challenge but as a catalyst for improvement in one’s craft. The edge I have over my competitors include periodic improvement, a consistent upgrade in my art and the effective relationship between my staff and myself.

Piracy is a big issue in the entertainment industry, how are you battling this?

Piracy is an epidemic invasion on the Nigerian entertainment structure, beginning with the introduction of digital media copies like mp3 and mp4. You have situations where artists keep releasing songs, getting popular but getting little proceeds from their craft. This is because, their songs are already flowing all over the internet for almost free of charge, pointing still to the mp3 and mp4 formats of the media.

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You have a personal mentor-ship programme for the young and upcoming talents. Can you tell us more about it?

I partner with some household entertainment brands housed in the east, where we are working together to establish a program for young people to aid them in growth in entertainment just the way they have in Lagos. Some of these programs are focused on improvement and development towards both music and other aspects of the media like production, video editing, graphics directing etc. We do this because, as essential as they are, they are lacking in the east. These programmes equally target prison inmates, those in rehab etc.

Recording all these successes and yet being behind the scene, how do you feel?

It is not really a problem for me as what is most important to me is engraving my name in the success stories of others. I am not interested in neither the money nor fame, I just enjoy the fulfillment my work brings me.

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