Throwback: When D’banj, Don Jazzy Signed With G.O.O.D Music, How It Reportedly Crushed D’banj’s Music Career

We decided to look back at the time when the ‘going’ was smooth between D’banj and Don Jazzy, a former business partner and label mate at Mo’ Hits Records. One of their known achievement was the duo’s contract with G.O.O.D Music

In June 2011, D’banj was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music record label as an artiste. On 9 June 2011, D’banj wrote on his Twitter account, @iamdbanj, “Just like yesterday, myself and my brother did Tongolo. 7 years later, Mo’Hits signs with GOOD Music. Best Birthday gift ever. God thank you.

In 2011, Don Jazzy was also employed by Kanye West as a producer at Very Good Beatz. Kanye West made a surprise appearance at the Koko Concert in London. He showed support to D’Banj by giving him his chain.

Kanye West reportedly destroyed D’banj’s music career

According to Pulse NG, how do you go from the leading artiste in Africa, to a guy who every loves and rates as a celebrity, but whose music is no longer in demand? How do you tell if a record deal – which at the time signified the greatest aspirational goal of your music career – will become a Trojan Horse?

11 was a crucial year for Nigerian music. It was the year when the rulers of pop music made a decision that was to cost them their dominance. D’banj and Don Jazzy, co-owners of Mo’Hits Records had found a way to meet up with Kanye West, where they sold him the Nigerian dream and sound. Kanye did buy it.

“D’Banj travelled to Dubai, at Dubai airport he met Kanye West just like anybody can meet any superstar at the airport.” Don Jazzy said, explaining the root of the end of Mo’Hits.

“He had the courage to go and meet him and introduce himself and that he wants to break into America and that he has done a song with Snoop Dogg and please listen to the song and tell me if it is good. And he understood and he listened to it and he liked it. And he asked us to drop by New York when we were going to LA for the video shoot with Snoop. So when we got to New York, we called them and his manager said we should meet up at Wyclef’s studio and the rest is history.”

The rest simply became history. Mo’Hits became history due to the irreconcilable differences between the business partners. D’banj, ever the opportunist, wanted in on the deal from GOOD Music. Don Jazzy hesitated, and wanted none of it. They argued and split.

The end of Mo’Hits, signaled the music end for D’banj. He was signed to GOOD Music, and Kanye West gave him his blessings, his chain, a remix of ‘Scapegoat’, and hummed his way into ‘The Morning’. Cosigns by other artistes helped make the charade continue, but the facts remained clear,; D’banj did not release any solo project under good music.

D’banj lost Don Jazzy, lost Mo’Hits Records, and lost his momentum. ‘Oliver Twist’ ( a Don Jazzy production), kept him alive musically, and so did the 2013 album, “D Kings Men”.  But ultimately, the damage was done. He has never recovered.

Ever since his split with Don Jazzy in 2011, there’s been a steady decline of D’banj’s musical powers, even though his celebrity went the other way. Each year brings another D’banj power move and endorsement deal, but the quality of the music takes a hit. 2013’s compilation album “D King’s Men” was a fantastic project which still stands as his best DB Records body of work, but it failed to catch on, with many attributing it to the lack of love from core fans who still blame him for splitting the indomitable Mo’Hits Records.

However, both Don Jazzy and D’banj are successful at the goals that they had set for themselves now