Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian

music executive A music executive or record executive is a person within a music company, in particular, a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can over ...

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

businessman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

, and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. He founded the record label

Mavin Records Mavin Records (also known as the Supreme Mavin Dynasty) is a Nigerian corporation and record label founded by record producer and recording artist Don Jazzy on 8 May 2012. The label's inception came to fruition following the closure of Mo' Hits R ...

in 2012, as a subsidiary of Mavin Global Holdings, through which he has signed artists including Rema,

Ayra Starr Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Benin Republic. She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit song "Ru ...

, Magixx, Bayanni, Johnny Drille,

Ladipoe Ladipo Eso popularly known as Ladipoe or Poe, is a Nigerian rapper and singer. On 28 February 2017, Ladipoe signed a record deal with Mavin Records. He rose to prominence with the song "Feel Alright" where he got featured by Show Dem Camp, SDC "Sh ...

, Lifesize Teddy, DJ Big N, and Boy Spyce. He co-founded

Mo' Hits Records Mo'Hits Records (popularly called Mo'Hits) was a Nigeria-based music record label owned by D'banj and Don Jazzy. According to Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mo'Hits Records Limited was founded in 2006, signing D'banj as its first ...

with

D'banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), known professionally as D'banj ( ), is a Nigerians, Nigerian singer, rapper, music executive, event host and television personality. He signed with American rapper Kanye West's record label GOOD Music ...

in 2004, and was an in-house producer for

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...

from 2011 to 2013.

Early life and education

Don Jazzy was born Michael Collins Ajereh in Umuahia,

Abia State Abia is a state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The state's capital is Umuahia and its most populous city is Aba. Abia is bordered the west by Imo, east by Cross River, south by Rivers, northwest by Anambra and northeast by Enug ...

, on 26 November 1982, the son of Collins Enebeli Ajereh and Mrs Ajereh. His father is from Isoko in

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

. His mother is an Igbo princess from Abia State and his father is a member of the Isoko people. Ajereh's family moved to Ajegunle,

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, where Don Jazzy was raised. He was educated at the

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

high school, Federal Government College Lagos. Don Jazzy found an interest in music early in life and at age 12, began to play the bass guitar and piano. He also gained knowledge of traditional and percussion instruments. Don Jazzy enrolled in business management and studied at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma,

Edo state Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

. In 2000, Jazzy's uncle invited him to play the drums for a local church in London and that was his first visit to London. Don Jazzy gained employment at

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

as a security guard. He continued his interest in music, associating with Solek, JJC Skillz, Kas, Jesse Jagz, The 419 Squad and

D'Banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), known professionally as D'banj ( ), is a Nigerians, Nigerian singer, rapper, music executive, event host and television personality. He signed with American rapper Kanye West's record label GOOD Music ...

Career

Don Jazzy at MTV Africa Music Awards 2014-Durban-20140607

Mo' Hits records and GOOD music

In 2004, Don Jazzy collaborated with

to form

. In the next two years, Don Jazzy produced the albums '' No Long Thing'' and ''Rundown/Funk You Up''. Around this time, Don Jazzy developed a recognizable producer/artist tags, "It's Don Jazzy Again!". In 2008, Don Jazzy was credited in the production of ''The Entertainer'' by D'Banj. He also contributed to the production of

Wande Coal Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe (born 18 October 1985), popularly known as Wande Coal, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Early life Wande Coal was born on 18 October 1985 in Lagos Island, Lagos state, Nigeria, to Chief Ibukun Olufunto and Omolara ...

's ''Mushin 2 MoHits'', an album that was described as one of the best albums to ever come out of Nigeria. In 2011, Don Jazzy was employed by

as a producer at Very Good Beatz. Don Jazzy worked with

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

and Kanye West on the production of '' Lift Off'', featuring

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

on the album '' Watch The Throne'' which was released on 8 August 2011. In March 2012, Don Jazzy and D'Banj confirmed their breakup citing artistic differences.

Mavin Records

On 7 May 2012, Don Jazzy announced a new record label,

. He said, "I see Mavin Records being the power house of music in Africa in the shortest possible time." On 8 May 2012, he released an album featuring the artists signed to his label. The songs on the album included: "Amarachi", "Forever", "Oma Ga", "Take Banana and Chocolate", "YOLO" and the anthem "I'm a MAVIN". Mavin records signed the vocalist,

Tiwa Savage Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage (), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. Savage sings in English, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, p ...

. Don Jazzy built a social network platform called "Marvin League" to complement and market his label. On 5 November 2013, Ajereh had conflict with an artist, Wande Coal who left the label two days later. In September 2014, Ajereh produced a Nigerian social activist song with Reekado Banks and Di'Ja called "Arise". At the Headies Awards 2015, Ajereh argued with

Olamide Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Nigeria and Africa and has been crucial to the creative and commercial succe ...

. The two disagreed about who should have won the "Next Rated" award. Lil Kesh of YBNL records lost to Reekado Banks, Ajereh's artist. The winner of the award received a car. Apologies on both sides were posted afterwards. After Reekado Banks departure from the Mavin Records label, Don Jazzy said he is still part of the family and wished him nothing but success in his career as he thanked him for the time spent with Mavin Records. In 2019, he signed Rema and later went on in 2020 to sign

into Mavins Record Label. In 2021, he announced a new artist, Magixx. On 7 April 2021, he revealed why he never signed

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian American, Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Davido was born in Atlanta, U.S, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his mus ...

Film appearance

In 2012, Don Jazzy appeared in Moses Inwang's movie ''The Last 3 Digits'' in

Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...

. Inwang also cast Ali Baba, A.Y., Nonso Diobi and Dr SID. in April 2023, Don Jazzy joined the cast of 'Introducing The Kujus' for its sequel.

Jazzy Burger

In 2022, Don Jazzy teamed up with Nigerian entrepreneur Richard Chinedu Nnadi to launch ''Jazzy Burger''.

Wande Coal and Don Jazzy: Pioneers of the Nigerian Music Syllabus

a prominent Nigerian singer and songwriter known for his unique musical style. In a recent interview with Cool FM Lagos, Wande Coal claimed that he and his former producer and

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

boss, Don Jazzy, played a significant role in shaping the music industry by creating "the syllabus of music." He stated that many artistes have drawn inspiration from their work and built upon it to create their own sounds. During his collaboration with Don Jazzy at the defunct Mo'hits Record and Mavin, Wande Coal brought his vibrant energy to the studio and together they produced exceptional music. According to Wande Coal, their synergy was undeniable, and they crafted a musical syllabus that was a foundation for aspiring artists to explore and develop their styles. He expressed appreciation for the younger generation's ability to incorporate their teachings into their music, stating that there is no issue as long as they continue to create remarkable sounds. The influence of Wande Coal and Don Jazzy's partnership can be observed in the music landscape, as many artistes have taken cues from their innovative approach and incorporated it into their creations. Their collaboration has left an indelible mark on the Nigerian music industry, inspiring new generations of artists to push boundaries and explore new horizons.

Awards and recognition

* Nigerian Music Awards (2006) – Producer of the Year. * Nigerian Entertainment Awards (2007) – Music Producer of the Year. * The Headies 2011 – Producer of the Year for ''Over The Moon'', '' Mr Endowed'' and ''Pop Something'' * The Headies 2014 – Producer of the Year for '' Dorobucci'' * City People Entertainment Award (2015) – special recognition award. * The Beatz Award TM (2019) – New Discovery Producer.

Production discography

Albums

* D'banj – '' No Long Thing'' (2005) * D'banj – ''

RunDown Funk U Up ''RunDown Funk U Up'' is the second studio album by Nigerian recording artist D'banj. It was released by Mo' Hits Records in 2006. The album was produced by Don Jazzy, and supported by the singles "Why Me", " Do You Like the Koko? (Tongolo Remix) ...

'' (2006) * D'banj – '' The Entertainer'' (2008) * Mo' Hits All Stars – ''

Curriculum Vitae In English, a curriculum vitae (,

'' (2007) # Anaconda 3:34 # Booty Call 5:13 # Close To You 3:43 # Hey Girl 5:08 # Igbe Mi 5:40 # Masquerade 4:02 # No Long Thing 3:15 # Ololufe (Club Mix) 4:21 # Stop The Violence 6:37 # Why Me (Remix) 5:16 # Jasi 2:50 * Wande Coal – ''Mushin2Mohits'' (2008) # I Know U Like It 3:10 # You Bad 4:05 # Se Na Like This 4:12 # Kiss Ur Hands 3:54 # Confused 4:20 # Se Ope 3:22 # Now It's All Gone 4:24 # Bumper 2 Bumper 3:51 # Who Born The Maga (featuring Kay Switch) 4:37 # That's Wots Up 4:42 # Bananas 3:59 # Taboo 4:24 # Jehovah 4:02 # Ololufe 4:56 # Ten Ten 3:50 # My Grind 4:48 # Been long you saw me # Private trips # Go low 3:50 # The kick 4:12 # Rotate 3:51 * Dr SID Turning Point (2010) # When This Song Comes On # Over the Moon (feat. K-Switch) # Something About You # Winchi Winchi (feat.

) # Pop something (feat.

) # a Mi Jo (feat. Ikechukwu, M.I & eLDee) # Baby # E Je Ka Jo (feat.

) # Pillow # Something About You (Silva Stone Remix) # Winchi Winchi (feat.

, Sway DaSafo & Dotstar) * MAVINS – '' Solar Plexus'' "MAVIN Records" (2012) # Intro by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri) # I'm A MAVIN by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Tiwatope Savage, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe, Charles Enebeli) # Oma Ga by Tiwa Savage (Michael Ajereh, Tiwatope Savage, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe) # YOLO by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri) # See Me Ri by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojisipe, Towa Ojosipe) # Take Banana by D'PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli) # CPR by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri) # Forever by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe, Towa Ojosipe) # Why You Over There by D'PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli) # Chocolate by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Charles Enebeli) # Pretty Girls by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Wande Ojosipe) # Amarachi by D'PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli) # Outro by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri)

Singles with Mo' Hits artists

* D'Prince # Omoba # I like What I See (feat.

) # Ooze (feat.

) # Give It To me (feat.

) * D'banj # Tongolo (2005) # Soko (2005) # Mobolowowon (2005) # Why Me (2006) # Run Down (2006) # Kimon (2008) # Olorun Maje (2008) # Gbono Feli (2008) # Entertainer (2008) # Suddenly (2008) # Fall in Love (2008) # Igwe (2008) # Mr Endowed (2010) # I do This # Scape Goat (2010) # ashanti (2010) # Mr Endowed (Remix) (feat.

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

) (2010) #

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

(2011) * Wande Coal # Bumper 2 Bumper # You Bad # Kiss Your Hand # Who Born the Maga # Been Long You Saw Me (feat. Don Jazzy) (2011) # Go Low (2011) *Dr SID # Something About You (2009) # Winchi winchi (2009) # Pop Something(feat.

) # Over The Moon (2010) # Chocolate # Y.O.L.O # C.P.R # Afefe # Chocolate West African Remix (feat.

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1986), better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after releasing "Oleku (Ice Prince song), Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed son ...

Sarkodie Elom Adablah Lynxxx) # Chocolate East African Remix (feat. Musik Maestro) # Lady Don Dada # Love Mine # Talented # Baby Tornado # Baby Tornado Remix (feat. Alexandra burke) # Surulere (feat. Don Jazzy) *Mo'Hits Allstars # Ten Ten

Singles with other artists

* Darey – Escalade part 2 * Darey – Stroke Me * Shank – Never Felt * Naeto C – Asewo * Ikechukwu – Like You (feat.

) * Ikechukwu – Wind am well (feat. Don Jazzy and

) * Ikechukwu – Do (feat.

) * Ikechukwu – All on Me * Ikechukwu – Critical (feat.

) * Ikechukwu – Now is the time (feat. Don Jazzy) * Sauce Kid – Under G *

– Lift Off (feat.

) * Weird MC – Ijoya
Burna Boy – Question (2021)
*Jahborne - Wayo

Personal life

Don Jazzy married Michelle Jackson in 2003. He claims they both had issues as a result of his ambitious nature and subsequently divorced about two years after they wed. However, he doesn't plan to marry again soon because he fears his love and dedication to music will hurt someone's feelings again. Ajereh has a younger brother,

D'Prince Charles Enebeli (born 23 October 1986), known by his stage name D'Prince, is a Nigerian Grammy Awards, Grammy-67th Annual Grammy Awards, nominated music executive, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, Promoter (entertainment), promoter, and philant ...

. In July 2022, he announced the death of his mother via his Instagram page. In what will come across as a really heart-breaking development, the legendary Nigerian beatmaker, Don Jazzy and his brother, D’Prince, a popular Nigerian singer have lost their mother to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Membership of Cherubim and Seraphim Church

Mavin Records boss, Don Jazzy has confirmed he is still a committed member of the white garment church called ‘ Cherubim and Seraphim’. Over the weekend, the respected music producer was honoured by the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim church worldwide and later, pictures of his childhood cladded in the church’s garment hit the internet. Before now, not many knew the multiple award-winning beat maker was a member of the church and this was why many were surprised. A surprised fan of Don Jazzy asked him, ‘So you have been attending Cele (a name commonly used for white garment churches in Nigeria)? and the Mavin boss responded, ‘and then? I still attend the church till now. But get it right, it’s Cherubim & Seraphim (not Cele).

References

External links

http://cccglp.com/ Why I did not sign Davido – Don Jazzy finally reveals.
Matter Arising
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jazzy, Don 1982 births Living people Ambrose Alli University alumni English-language singers from Nigeria Nigerian hip-hop record producers Nigerian hip-hop singers Nigerian music industry executives 21st-century Nigerian singer-songwriters The Headies winners Yoruba-language singers of Nigeria Nigerian TikTokers Musicians from Umuahia Nigerian Afrobeats musicians