Ultra Music Publishing opens Lagos hub

Ultra has appointed its London-based A&R manager Harold Serero to oversee the development of the company’s African operations. Serero will be in charge of ensuring that the new initiative builds on the success that the company has enjoyed in the Afrobeats genre, a role previously overseen by Ultra A&R head for North America Andreas Rizek.

Commenting on the appointment, Serero said: “It is incredibly inspiring to get the chance to work with such uniquely talented, ambitious songwriters and artists that will shape the sound of Africa, and hopefully the world in 2023 and beyond. This is the future.”

Ultra Music Publishing founder and CEO Patrick Moxey said Lagos would now be a key focus for the company’s creative team moving forward.

“We have been involved in the signing and development of African songwriters and producers for some time and this new announcement of a creative hub in Lagos will help nurture the incredible talent coming out of West Africa,” he said.

To mark the launch, Ultra, in partnership with Estlon Music, held a writing camp in Lagos that saw some 20 young producers, writers, artists and audiovisual designers collaborating for three days.

The writing camp featured Burna Boy’s producers Chopstix and Leriq, upcoming artists Bloody Civilian (Def Jam), Amexin (Ultra Publishing) and Shorae Moore, as well as songwriters Naya Akanji (Aristokrat) and guitarist Efe Jazz. The music written at the camp will contribute to a showcase mixtape title Sonic Rares.

Ultra is an independent publisher of hip hop, pop, EDM, jazz and reggae. The company’s signings include Tejiri Akpoghene, who joined the Ultra roster under a global co-publishing deal with Revels Management. The Nigerian recently won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance, having co-produced Future's ‘Wait For U’ featuring Drake and Tems. Other additions to the roster are rising Nigerian star Maesu and Atlanta-based songwriter and producer Zaytoven.