In a revealing glimpse into his rise to stardom, Nigerian music icon Inetimi Alfred Odon, popularly known as Timaya, has shared how he sold his debut album for ₦500,000 and his sophomore album for ₦24 million, highlighting the financial struggles and triumphs of his early career. The disclosure, made during a May 16, 2025, interview in Lagos, underscores the dancehall star’s journey from humble beginnings to a net worth of $12 million.
Timaya, now 44, recounted signing his first record deal in 2006 with DM Records, selling his debut album, True Story, for ₦500,000 (equivalent to $3,000 at the time). The album, featuring hits like “Dem Mama” and “Ogologomma,” sold over 500,000 copies, driven by its raw storytelling of Bayelsa’s socio-political issues. Despite its success, Timaya earned little due to the flat-fee deal, a common practice in Nigeria’s nascent music industry, where artists often ceded royalties for upfront payments. The album’s impact, blending reggae, dancehall, and highlife, earned him a Nigeria Music Award and set the stage for his breakout.
By 2008, Timaya’s growing fame led to a lucrative deal for his second album, Gift and Grace, sold to a distributor for ₦24 million ($160,000 then). The album, with tracks like “Cutlass” and “God You Are 2 Much,” achieved 1.2 million physical sales and won Album of the Year at The Headies 2008. Timaya credited his business acumen, honed in Port Harcourt’s music scene, for negotiating better terms, though he noted piracy, which cost Nigeria’s industry ₦50 billion annually, limited earnings. He reinvested the funds into his label, Dem Mama Records, launching acts like Patoranking, who sold 2 million singles by 2014.
The Bayelsa-born artist, who founded South-South Records in 2020, now boasts 10 albums and 20 million global streams, per Spotify data. His story resonates in Nigeria’s $300 million music industry, where 60% of artists face exploitative contracts, per a 2024 Afrobeats report. Timaya urged young musicians to prioritize legal advice, citing his 2010 dispute with Black Body Entertainment over unpaid royalties.