It’s official. All the speculations and rumours, fuelled by reports of the supposed feud between Mo’Hits producer extraordinaire Don Jazzy
and Koko master D’banj, can finally be laid to rest. The once enviable
and highly admired partnership between the seemingly inseparable pair is
now a subject of Nigerian musical history.
This much was revealed by Don Jazzy himself on Saturday, March 17, 2012, via popular micro blogging site, Twitter. After apologizing for his long absence on the site, he tweeted the following:
‘It is with a heavy heart I announce the end of a long era and the beginning of a new one. Some
of the rumours you have all heard are sad but true… and to end the old
era I will be donating the proceeds of my production catalogue from day 1
till date to 5 charity organizations. Thanks. IDJA’.
NET also gathered that the prolific
producer and Mo’Hits president has symbolically ended the nine year
partnership by moving out of the Lekki mansion he once shared with
D’banj for a new pad in NICON Estate, around the peninsula.
D’banj, on the other hand, has
reportedly relocated, at least for now, to the US. Last week, he made a
brief and very secret visit to the country apparently to put a few
things in order. Up till D’banj boarded his return flight to the United
States on Friday, March 16, 2012, we’re told the pair did not meet,
despite desperate efforts by close friends to bring them together.
Things have now gone beyond reconciliation,
with both parties already setting in gear preparations to float
separate record labels; leaving friends, fans and followers in shock and
confusion, and an entire industry sad. We’ve confirmed that D’banj is
looking at starting his KOKO Music, another subsidiary of his KOKO
Ventures, while Don Jazzy will follow suit with his own label, which
remains unnamed for now. Both acts are to continue their separate deals
with G.O.O.D. Music.
The question now is: what becomes of the rest of the Mo’Hits clan
– Dr SID, Wande Coal, D’Prince and Kay Switch? Apparently, for them to
move on, both label heads have to reach an agreement as to how to wind
down their contracts. The acts are unsure of where their careers are
going at this point.
Apart from Don Jazzy who spoke out
through his Twitter page, Saturday, no one is speaking officially on the
situation. But several insiders have told us the situation is ‘worse
than you can ever imagine’; claiming ‘Dr SID, D’banj’s mom, ego, money and gossips are key factors responsible for the brouhaha’.
‘There have been cracks in Mo’Hits
for some time, not just between D’banj and Jazzy, but even within the
acts and so many other issues. It was only a matter of time before
things completely collapse’, said a source who worked with the label until last year. ‘It’s sad to see things turn out this way, because theirs was a winning formula. But I knew it was always going to happen’, concluded the source who asked not to be named.
Over the weekend, D’banj released the
highly anticipated video to his monster Don Jazzy-produced single
‘Oliver’. Directed by usual suspect Sesan Ogunro (who has become the
official Mo’Hits media expert) it doesn’t feature any Mo’Hits artists,
but his G.O.O.D Music colleagues Big Sean, Pusha T and label boss Kanye
West himself, are prominent. Kanye is seen at the end at D’banj’s side, a
position once occupied by Don Jazzy. Welcome to the post Mo’Hits era.
HOW THEY MET
Everyone knows their story – how Don Jazzy was a musician with the Solek Crew,
and D’banj, a wannabe artiste who eagerly wanted to be heard. As
members of JJC’s 419 Squad based in London, they rolled and performed
together, waiting for the big break.
After a couple of major awards and signs
of promise, they left JJC’s squad after refusing to sign a contract
with his Backbone Music. It remains uncertain who convinced who, but the
pair agreed on a partnership and would soon move back to Nigeria…
REAL REASONS FOR BREAK UP:
No one can say for sure that there’s one main reason the hitherto
inseparable partners are breaking up. We’ve been told it’s ‘more
complicated than anyone can imagine’, with many talking about issues
ranging from women and money, to breach of trust, ego, and outside
influence
THOSE WHO INTERVENED:
There are several people who wanted to make sure the Mo’Hits partnership
never went down. Many influential Nigerians, within and outside the
entertainment industry allegedly waged in, hoping to nip the crisis in
the bud and save what many have referred to as the most successful music
industry partnership of this generation. From Lagos to Abuja and New
York, mutual friends and associates – including one Mo’Hits investor,
and Don Jazzy’s father – worked the phones and made desperate moves, but
it all came to naught…
WHO OWNS MO’HITS?: That’s the million Naira question. Following D’banj’s controversial Ebony interview, and Don Jazzy’s announcement of the end of a long era and the beginning of a new one,
many are now desperate to find out what the CAC documents on Mo’Hits
actually say. The company’s website credits Don Jazzy as founder and
CEO, even the Mo’Hits logo carries Jazzy’s signature walking stick –
but could a coup have happened?
FULL MO’HITS DISCOGRAPHY
D’banj - No Long Thing (2005)
Singles - Tongolo, Socor, Mobolowowon
D’banj - Rundown/Funk You Up (2006)
Singles - Why Me, Run Down,
D’banj - Anaconda (2007)
Singles – Anaconda, Jasi, No long thing
Mo’ Hits All Stars - Curriculum Vitae (CV) (2007)
Move your body, Booty Call, Pere, Close to you,
D’banj - The Entertainer (2008)
Singles – Mo gbona feli feli, Igwe, Olorun Maje, Suddenly, Fall In Love, Kimon
Wande Coal – Mushin2Mohits (2008)
Singles – Ololufe, Taboo, Ten Ten, Bumper to bumper, You Bad, Who Born The Maga, Bananas
Dr SID - Turning Point (2010)
Singles – Over the Moon ft Kay Switch, Something about You, Winchi Winchi ft Wande Coal, Pop something ft D’banj, Ba Mi Jo ft Ikechukwu, M.I, eLDee
D’banj – Mr Endowed (Unreleased)
Singles - Mr Endowed, Mr Endowed ft Snoop Dogg, Scape Goat, Oliver
Courtesy: NIGERIA ENTERTAINMENT TODAY
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