Profile | By Ruth Okwumbu
boost when he went ahead to take producing lessons from O-Town record company.
After secondary school, he attended Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state and received his first degree in Business Administration. At his uncle’s instance, Michael went to London in 2000 and started playing drums in his neighborhood church. He would also play juju music and do some minor gigs here and there. While at this, he took up a job as a security guard at McDonald’s, and soon got a chance to connect with some of Nigerian music stars, like JJC, Kas, The 419 Squad and D’Banj.
A few years later, he partnered with D’Banj to launch Mo’Hits Records, and by 2006, he was already becoming famous with his adopted introductory line “It’s Don Jazzy Again!”
The co-owned label – Mo’Hits Records – took him all the way into fame and over the next couple of years, Don Jazzy became a musical sensation affiliated with some of the biggest musical hits in the continent. Some of his most – memorable tracks at the time included Oliver Twist, Mo’hits Crew All stars, Wande Coal’s Mushin 2 MoHits, No long thing and D’Banj’s 1982 to an Isoko (Delta State) The Entertainer. father and an Umuahia Princess. Shortly after he was born, the Michael Ajereh also produced family relocated to Ajegunle, and added vocals for artistes Lagos wheree he also had his early like Dr SID, Ikechukwu, D’Banj, education. Kween, D’Prince, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Kanye West. In 2011, he was As a child, he loved music. At age invited to work on Kanye West’s 4, he had started singing, dancing collaboration with Jay-Z titled “Lift and playing drums in church. In Off” for the “Watch The Throne’’ secondary school at the Federal album. Government College, Ijanikin, Michael developed interest in Mavin Record rises from the ashes instruments and started playing of Mo’Hits Record the bass guitar at age 12. He also learned how to play some D’Banj and Don Jazzy split in traditional and percussion 2012 bringing an end to the days instruments along the way. He of Mo’Hits Record. Some reports gave his musical skills a major say the split was a result of some
Michael Collins Ajereh A Don in Africa’s music industry
M
ichael Collins Ajereh is popular for many reasons, and has been for a long time. From the days of Mo’Hits records where he produced several hit labels, till now where Mavin Records is the label behind some outstanding artistes in Africa, Don Jazzy does not seem to be slowing down in his contributions to the African music industry.
Though born in Umuahia (Abia State), Michael hails from Delta state. He was born on 26 November
40 | Business Elites Africa / ISSUE 116
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