Don Jazzy: The Voice of the Nigerian Music Industry?

Trust me, there’s a million and one things that can go right when
you have Don Jazzy doing background vocals or even a solo
freestyle on your track. Agreed, he’s not vocally skilled like Banky
W, Praiz or Oritse Femi even but there’s a special something about
his baritone tenor heavily dotted with cultural influences over it. Don
Jazzy has a way of shaking things up and spicing ‘em with his
voice. It is special, for him at least. To some others (me), there’s
this awkwardly mesmerizing effect that it comes with. The sound of
his voice on a track is hitherto like the song’s reawakening. It is
magical. And not forgetting that it is always accompanied by the
midas touch of his only boastful technical know how – the music
production.

I can recall Don Jazzy’s singing as far back as the a-days of the
Mo’hits crew. Not only was he guy man D’Banj’s confam producer,
he also doubled as background vocalist.

On Tongolo, which
officially announced D’Banj’s star sign, Don Jazzy got a series of
backlashes from music sweethearts and comedians especially who
relished opportunities to take him down over his cry baby vocals on
the hook of that song. Personally, when I heard that voice I thought
to myself “who is this phonie? Could he try out an art other than
singing?” But no, Don baba J didn’t back down. Instead, he upped
his game which necessarily didn’t include intense vocal coaching
and exercising. May be he drank sparking water a lot more before
lacing his ‘voice of life’ on records in the studio; perhaps he chewed
bitter kola or avoided greasy meals, cold liquids, rough textured
snacks like roasted corn, biscuits and snickers chocolate; might be
that he cleared his throat 70 times 7 (lol!) we’ll never know for sure.

So here’s what I think. Don Jazzy took all that criticism and
“hate” (like some of y’all are too quick to term it) and he fired back
with better boldness, confidence and a zeal to do better in his own
way little way and he’s become darn good at it.

Look at Mrs Billz
who clearly enjoys an enviable vocal chemistry with the doroboss;
in my review of her debut album I had to cry out that there was
already too much Don Jazzy on the work. Yet, those songs have
remained a favourite selection off Once Upon a Time . Or is it Dr
Sid’s Siduction whose voice I suddenly couldn’t tell apart Don
Jazzy’s at some point? More people dismiss the effort but never
overlook the Don Jazzy collabos. Now, there’s the infamous
Dorobucci and Adaobi . They’re both songs that caught us off guard
with the former still pulling in a breaking record of mp3 downloads
and Youtube views. So you see? Not like his “sing sing” (like a
friend of mine actually termed it) deserves all the credit but you
gotta agree that it is paying off and wonderfully well even.

Undoubtedly, most of the songs with IDJA’s voice on it are a music
collector’s item. Ikechukwu’s Now Is The Time , Wande Coal’s The
Kick , Dr Sid’s smash hit single Surulere , Tiwa Savage’s Without My
Heart and Eminado, including the unofficial features on Mrs Billz
most recent single My Darlin, Di’Ja’s Yaro , Reekado Banks’ Chop
Am and Korede Bello’s Cold Outside where he spices things with
mild vocal embellishments in the form of adlibs.

The best part would
be that he’s not even all about the Mavin folk alone. Need I remind
you about Kcee’s Pull Over Remix, DJ Xclusive’s Gal Bad , Ayo
Vincent’s Serve The Lord (which I looooove by the way) and P-
Square’s Collabo ? Oh, there’s an Olamide offering too in the nearest
future. Regardless, the smart man knows well not to launch an
official music career ‘cos that just might be the beginning of the end.

I think his outstanding nature lies in the fact that he has the
wherewithal to being whoever he wants to but he’s chosen to be
who he’s supposed to… and that right there people, defines the
mind of a Mavin!

Credit: Too Xclusive