Veteran music executive Obi Asika has heaped massive praise on Nigerian music icon Don Jazzy, describing his legendary run between 2006 and 2009 as one of the greatest in music history.
Speaking on The Afropolitan Podcast, Asika revealed that Don Jazzy produced 150 number-one hits within that three-year span, a feat he believes is unparalleled, even by global standards.
“From 2006 to 2009, Don Jazzy pulled out 150 records that reached number one. I’m not sure if anyone has ever had a run like that. If we had a system as regulated as in America, he would have earned 150 million dollars just for himself,” Obi Asika stated.
For many, this is not just hyperbole. Don Jazzy, the co-founder of the now-defunct Mo’Hits Records, was the sonic force behind chart-topping hits from D’banj, Wande Coal, Dr Sid, D’Prince, and K-Switch. Songs like “Oliver Twist,” “Booty Call,” “Pere,” and “Why Me” defined an era that set the pace for what would later become Nigeria’s Afrobeats explosion on the global stage.
Asika, who is the founder and CEO of Storm Records; the label that once housed music powerhouses like Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Sasha P, and GT the Guitar Man, is a revered voice in the Nigerian entertainment industry. He is also the uncle of Asa Asika, Davido’s manager.
According to him, had Nigeria’s music industry been as structured and financially optimized as America’s during that era, Don Jazzy’s efforts would have earned him the kind of fortune reserved for top-tier American producers like Dr. Dre or Pharrell Williams.
Obi Asika’s comments serve as a reminder of Don Jazzy’s influence and the untapped financial potential of the Nigerian music industry in its early golden age.
