Don Jazzy, the producer and record executive behind some of Nigeria’s biggest musical exports, has pulled back the curtain on what it takes to transform a young talent into a household name.
Speaking on the Echo podcast, the founder of Mavin Records said it costs anywhere between $100,000 and $300,000, the equivalent of about N150 million to N500 million to launch a new artist under his label.
“To activate and launch a new Mavin talent? At the moment, about a minimum $100,000 or then to $100 to $300,000 in that bracket.”
The figure, he emphasized, represents only the starting point for an act’s first project.
“It’s never just one thing,” he explained when asked about what makes a song or an artist go viral. “You can have a great song, but if it’s not marketed properly, it won’t work. At the same time, you can spend a lot of money, but if people don’t connect with it, they don’t connect.”
The 41-year-old music mogul, born Michael Collins Ajereh, said there is no formula for creating a hit, but Mavin has developed systems that improve an artist’s chances of breaking through. Those systems, he noted, rely on significant investment: marketing teams, public relations experts, research units, and production staff, all working alongside the artist.
Crucially, Don Jazzy stressed, the artist’s own drive is non-negotiable. “If you want it more than the artist, it doesn’t really work,” he said. “Some people have the vision, but the great ones also do the research. If you say you want to be like Michael Jackson, you have to study why Michael Jackson became Michael Jackson.”
The producer, who first rose to prominence in the mid-2000s with the defunct Mo’Hits Records, reflected on how much the industry has changed. When Mo’Hits dissolved in 2012, he briefly considered leaving the record label business altogether, deterred by rising costs and mounting responsibilities. But encouragement from close friends and artists kept him in the game, eventually leading to the founding of Mavin Records, home to global stars like Rema and Ayra Starr.
What you should know
In 2024, Nairametrics reported Universal Music Group (UMG) had completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Mavin Global (Mavin).
This strategic move by UMG came about five years after Mavin secured a substantial multi-million dollar investment in 2019 from Kupanda Holdings, a joint venture between pan-African investment company Kupanda Capital and TPG Growth. With this latest development, TPG has divested entirely from the business, while Kupanda Capital will maintain a minority investment and continue as a strategic adviser.
Mavin, a music powerhouse, hosts a lineup of stellar Afrobeats artists such as Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille, Crayon, Magixx, Bayanni, Boyspyce, DJ Big N, Lifesize Teddy, and Rema.
Their chart-topping single, “Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, reached an impressive No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking a breakthrough for the Afrobeats genre.
This track has become one of the most significant Afrobeats songs ever, achieving the remarkable feat of being the first African artist-led track to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Ayra Starr, another gem from Mavin, earned a Grammy nomination for the Best African Music Performance for her track “Rush.”
