In May 2013, Brymo announced via Twitter that he parted ways with
Chocolate City.
[40]Audu Maikori, who was the CEO of Chocolate City at the time, refuted claims made by Brymo during a press conference at the label’s office in
Lekki.
[41] Maikori stated that Brymo still had three years left on his contract, and still needed to record two albums.
[41]Vanguard newspaper reported that during the press conference, Maikori revealed that Brymo committed an act of insubordination when he refused to remove an
inappropriate picture he posted on Instagram.
[41] While speaking to journalists in June 2013, Brymo said that Chocolate City cheated him when they failed to explain how his second studio album leaked. He also said that there was no accountability on how is album was being sold and distributed.
[42] In August 2013, it was reported that Brymo signed a distribution deal with
Spinlet, enabling the digital media company to distribute his next album online.
[43] In October 2013,
Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that Spinlet discontinued the deal after Chocolate City made them aware of its existing contract with Brymo.
[44] On 14 October 2013, it was reported that Chocolate City filed an interim injunction against Brymo, restraining him from partaking in musical ventures beyond the confines of his contract.
[45][46] On 20 October 2013, Brymo released his third studio album despite reports about an injunction.
[47] On 21 October 2013, a judge at the Federal High Court of Lagos restrained Brymo from releasing and distributing any musical work, pending Chocolate City’s lawsuit against him.
[48]According to
The Nation newspaper, Brymo and his management met with Chocolate City representatives in October 2013 to deliberate on mutually-agreeable terms.
[49]Moreover, the newspaper reported that Chocolate City tried getting Brymo to sign an agreement that was captured from the meeting, but to no avail.
[49] On 11 November 2013, the
Premium Timesreported that the legal team from both parties met in court for a hearing; the newspaper also reported that the case was adjourned to 5 December 2013.
[50] In January 2014,
Vanguard newspaper reported the case was postponed until 14 January 2014, due to the absence of the presiding judge.
[51] In February 2014, the
Premium Times reported that the case was further postponed to 26 February 2014.
[52] It was also reported that the case was postponed for the fourth time due to a heated exchange between the legal team from both parties.
[53] In March 2014, the Federal High Court of Lagos lifted the restraint it put on Brymo in October 2013.
[54]In May 2014,
Nigerian Entertainment Todayreported that the judge presiding over the case pulled out after he was accused of being biased.
[55] In a radio interview with
Toolz in May 2016, Brymo said that he didn’t win the case against Chocolate City. He was quoted as saying, “we had the opportunity to iron it out in court but they fried it up. I don’t know what they did but they definitely spoke to the judge and spoke to the lawyers and scrapped the case, they are lawyers; they can do it.”
[56]