British-Nigerian dancer and fitness instructor Chiki Kuruka has revealed how she spent more than a year working behind the scenes to secure an international record deal for her husband, singer Bien-Aimé Baraza, explaining why she rejected offers from labels that did not share her vision for his global career.
In an Instagram post following Bien’s signing with American record label Quality Control Music, Chiki shared the challenges she encountered while searching for a team capable of helping the former Sauti Sol frontman expand his reach beyond Africa.
She said only a small circle of close friends knew about the lengthy process, which involved meetings with record labels in different countries, difficult decisions over financial offers and months of legal negotiations.
“Breaking a Kenyan artist globally in a short period of time isn’t an easy thing,” she wrote.
Chiki, who manages Bien’s career alongside her role as his wife, said several structural challenges make it difficult for Kenyan musicians to build international careers quickly.
She cited visa requirements, limited budgets, the world’s knowledge of Kenya and the country’s population size among the factors that complicate efforts to introduce local artists to wider international audiences.
Despite those obstacles, she said the support Kenyans give their artists remained a consistent source of encouragement throughout the search.
Chiki explained that she and her collaborator, Street Execs Tek, approached several international record labels before finding one whose ambitions aligned with their plans for Bien.
Rather than focusing solely on the financial terms of potential deals, she said she wanted to understand how each label envisioned the singer’s career developing over time.
“The moment the response limited him to Africa, I didn’t care how big the label was, I left,” she wrote.
The decision meant walking away from potentially lucrative offers when she felt the companies involved did not see Bien as an artist capable of competing on the global stage.
Chiki acknowledged that rejecting money while searching for industry support was not an easy decision. However, she said she and Tek remained committed to finding partners who understood the scale of their ambitions for the singer.
Chiki credited Tek with supporting the effort from the beginning, describing him as a partner who understood the difficulties involved and remained prepared for the work ahead.
The search eventually led Chiki and her team to Quality Control Music executives Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas.
The Atlanta-based label has built a reputation through its work with prominent hip-hop acts, including Migos.
Its involvement in Bien’s career therefore represents a significant development for the Kenyan singer as he pursues a broader international audience.
Chiki said the executives immediately understood the vision she had for her husband.
When she asked where they saw Bien’s career going, she recalled that they described him as “a generational, global star. He can fit anywhere really”.
That response convinced her that they had found partners who could recognise Bien’s potential beyond the African market.
The agreement also involved Courtesy Of LLC, a partnership associated with Quality Control Music’s expansion into Africa.
Bien’s signing was announced as a milestone for the label’s engagement with African music.
Chiki revealed that the legal process alone took almost nine months, forcing them to keep the development under wraps while adjusting plans for Bien’s music releases.
The delays affected both a single and an album, with the team shifting release dates as they worked towards completing the deal.
When the signing finally became public, Chiki expressed her excitement at seeing the effort come to fruition.
“The label that built and signed Migos, picked my Bien, OUR Bien,” she wrote.
She also admitted to feeling nervous about the next stage of the journey, despite her pride in what they had achieved.
Bien’s new partnership comes as he continues developing his solo catalogue following Sauti Sol’s hiatus.
His latest single, I’ll Be Okay, was released alongside the announcement, while his forthcoming project, Alusa Continua, was expected on November 20, 2026.
