How Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) Label Came Abou

{EME label/Channels Television]

Written by Pharis Kinyua 

Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) is a Nigerian record label founded in 2002 by Banky W and Tunde Demuren. The label has been responsible for launching the careers of some of the biggest names in Afrobeats, including Wizkid, Skales, Niyola, and Shaydee.

Banky W was born and raised in the United States. He began his music career as a rapper in college, but he struggled to get signed by a major record label. After being turned down by several labels, Banky W decided to start his own label, E.M.E.

Banky W's motivation for starting E.M.E was to provide a platform for African artists to showcase their talent to the world. He also wanted to create a label that was artist-friendly and that would give artists the freedom to create their own music.

E.M.E quickly became one of the most successful record labels in Nigeria. The label's first major success came with the release of Wizkid's debut album, "Superstar," in 2011. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to launch Wizkid into stardom.

Other successful artists who have been signed to E.M.E include Skales, Niyola, and Shaydee. Skales released his debut album, "Man of the Year," in 2015. The album was a commercial success, and it featured the hit singles "Shake Body" and "Jeje." Niyola released her debut album, "This Love," in 2013. The album was a critical success, and it featured the hit singles "Toh Bad" and "Go On."

Shaydee released his debut album, "Shaydee Is My Name," in 2016. The album featured the hit single "Oya." E.M.E has also been responsible for releasing several successful compilation albums. The label's first compilation album, "Empire Mates State of Mind," was released in 2012. The album featured tracks from Banky W, Wizkid, Skales, and Niyola.

E.M.E's second compilation album, "Empire Mates State of Mind 2: The Evolution," was released in 2015. The album featured tracks from Banky W, Wizkid, Skales, Niyola, and Shaydee. In 2018, Banky W announced that E.M.E would be transitioning from a record label to a talent management company. He explained that the decision was made in order to better support the careers of E.M.E signees.