Don Jazzy: Living Together Made Afrobeats’ Golden Era Possible

Music executive Michael Ajereh, better known as Don Jazzy, says some of Afrobeats’ most defining records were born from a simple fact: the artistes and producers were living under the same roof.

Speaking on the _Crea8torium_ podcast hosted by Salem King and Adaora Mbelu, the 43-year-old Mavin Records founder reflected on the Mo’Hits era of the late 2000s and early 2010s, when he, D’Banj, D’Prince, Dr Sid, and their team shared a house that doubled as a studio, office, and creative lab.

“I have a theory that says that most of the great music that we made in Afrobeats was when all of us were living together,” Don Jazzy said. “That proximity created a chemistry you cannot force in a 3-hour studio session.

To illustrate his point, Don Jazzy recounted the story behind D’Banj’s 2008 hit _Olorun Maje_. The track, one of D’Banj’s most memorable songs, came out of a moment of tension in the Mo’Hits mansion.

According to Don Jazzy, the incident began when Sunday Are, the group’s manager at the time, complained that D’Prince was avoiding radio interviews. Are brought the complaint to Don Jazzy, who was already working in the studio and told him to take it to D’Banj.

“D’Banj was like a military man. So he started shouting at D’Prince, scolding him for not going for the interview,” Don Jazzy recalled. “D’Prince got angry, came back into the studio where I was with Sunday Are making music, and pretended like he was dusting some equipment. Then he started singing, ‘Some people they want make I die, some people they want make I win, some people they want make I cry, Olorun Maje oooo.’”

The melody and lyrics landed perfectly on the beat Don Jazzy was working on.

“The lyrics just fell precisely to the beat I was making at that time. I told him to pause that I like it. That was how the song was born.”

That wasn’t the only track that came from casual, unplanned moments. Don Jazzy said Dr Sid’s followed a similar path.

“Dr Sid randomly walked into the studio and started rhyming to a beat I was making,” he said. “We didn’t plan it. He just felt the vibe, jumped on it, and it became a record.”

He argued that this kind of spontaneous creativity was only possible because the team was together 24/7. Arguments, jokes, and everyday conversations turned into hooks and verses because the studio was always open and everyone was present to catch the moment.

“When you live together, you don’t need to book studio time to catch an idea. You don’t lose the vibe because someone has to leave for traffic. You just keep creating,” he said.

Don Jazzy contrasted that era with the way music is made now. The Mo’Hits structure dissolved in 2012, and most Afrobeats acts today operate independently, often working with producers remotely or in booked studio sessions.

“Music creation today is different from the era when me and my contemporaries dominated,” he said. “The process has become more fragmented. Fewer artistes work under the same roof. Everyone has their own schedule, their own team. It’s more professional, but you lose some of that raw, in-the-moment energy.”

He noted that while technology has made collaboration easier through file sharing and remote sessions, it cannot replicate the constant interaction of living and working together.

“You can send a beat to someone in London and get a verse back in two hours. That’s efficient. But you miss the side conversations, the arguments, the jokes that become a hook. Those things don’t happen over WhatsApp.”

Staying consistent with his process

Despite the changes in the industry, Don Jazzy said his personal approach to production has not changed. He still goes into the studio with a specific artiste in mind, trying to craft a sound that fits their voice and personality.

“I don’t just make beats for the sake of it. I think about who will sing on it, how their voice will sit on it, what story they can tell,” he said. “That’s how I worked with D’Banj, Wande Coal, Dr Sid, Tiwa Savage, Rema, Ayra Starr. The names change, but the method is the same.”

He credited that intentionality for his longevity in an industry where trends shift quickly and producers often have short shelf lives.

“If you’re chasing trends, you’ll burn out. If you’re building with artistes, you grow with them,” he said.

Don Jazzy used the conversation to advise younger creatives to prioritize collaboration and community over competition. He said the current generation of Afrobeats artistes has the talent and global reach that the Mo’Hits generation only dreamed of, but could achieve even more if they worked together more closely.

“Don’t be afraid to build with people. Don’t be afraid to live in each other’s space, creatively. Some of the best ideas come when you’re uncomfortable, when you’re arguing, when you’re laughing together,” he said.

He pointed to the rise of producer collectives and camps like The Cavemen, Sarz Academy, and his own Mavin Academy as positive steps in that direction. But he stressed that physical proximity still matters.

“You can have a WhatsApp group, but it’s not the same as waking up and hearing someone humming a melody in the kitchen. That’s where the magic happens

The Mo’Hits era, which ran from 2006 to 2012, is widely regarded as the foundation of modern Afrobeats. Under Don Jazzy’s production and D’Banj’s star power, the label produced a string of hits that introduced Afrobeats to audiences across Africa and the diaspora. Songs like _Why Me_, _Suddenly_, _Oliver Twist_, _Mister Endowed_, and _Olorun Maje_ remain staples on playlists today.

That period also launched the careers of Wande Coal, Dr Sid, and D’Prince, all of whom went on to have successful solo careers. Don Jazzy has often credited the close-knit environment for that success.

“We were broke, we were hungry, and we were together. So we had nothing to lose and everything to prove,” he said. “That energy is hard to replicate when everyone is comfortable and separated.

Don Jazzy’s comments come at a time when Afrobeats is experiencing unprecedented global success. Artistes like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema, and Asake are selling out arenas worldwide, and the genre is a regular feature on Billboard and Spotify charts.

But as the genre grows, some industry observers have raised concerns about a loss of cohesion and identity. With more artistes working with international producers and writing camps, there’s a debate about whether Afrobeats is becoming too generic

Don Jazzy’s argument is that the genre’s best work came from a uniquely Nigerian, communal process — and that preserving some of that spirit is key to sustaining its authenticity.

“Afrobeats is Nigerian music before it’s global music,” he said. “If we forget how we made it, we lose what makes it special

While he acknowledges that the industry has evolved and that not every artiste can live in a label house, Don Jazzy believes there are lessons to take from the Mo’Hits model. He encouraged labels and collectives to create more spaces where artistes and producers can collaborate organically, even if they don’t share living quarters

“Mavin has the Mavin Academy for that reason. We bring young producers and songwriters together, let them work, argue, learn from each other,” he said. “You can’t force creativity, but you can create the conditions for it.

As Afrobeats continues to expand globally, Don Jazzy’s reflection serves as a reminder of the roots of the sound. For him, the next phase of the genre’s growth may depend not just on bigger budgets and international features, but on recapturing the intimacy and spontaneity that produced its earliest hits