Sarz Reveals How Some Big Artists Refused to Pay Him

Nigerian producer Sarz is speaking out about being shortchanged early in his career.

In an appearance on the Afropolitan Podcast on February 25th, the producer, born Osaretin Osabuohien, opened up about a pattern he says followed him through his come-up: artists making music with him, using the records, and not paying him for the work.

"So many popular artists took advantage of me," he said. "They would make music with me and not pay me."

Sarz did not name the artists involved, but he detailed one incident specifically. He says he produced two songs for a "big artist" who informed him he would only be paying for one. When Sarz withheld the session files for the second record as leverage, the artist brushed it off, suggesting he would simply mix the demo version and release it regardless.

Sarz says he handed over the files anyway, motivated by not wanting a substandard version of his work in circulation. The artist released the song and still refused to pay him.

"That day I said anyone who does not have what I'm charging, I'm not working with them," Sarz said. He acknowledged the decision came with consequences: "I started becoming a notorious person."

He also described a broader dynamic from that period, artists taking his productions, declining to pay, and later re-recording the same songs with other producers.

Sarz attributed part of the problem to his own standing at the time, suggesting he was not yet considered established enough to push back effectively. That changed, he said, after producing Condo by GreenHouse, a record that shifted how the industry perceived him and increased demand for his work.

The comments land against a backdrop of longstanding conversations about producer credit and compensation in the Nigerian music industry.

In 2019, producer Northboi publicly accused Wizkid of failing to compensate him for producing 'Joro', and alleged that pressure was applied to keep him from speaking on it; a claim that was never formally addressed.

Sarz did not specify when the incidents he described took place, nor did he identify any of the artists involved. The podcast appearance was otherwise wide-ranging, covering his transition from producer to recording artist, a shift he has been navigating publicly over the past few years. The remarks on non-payment, however, have started to generate the most conversation.

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