Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy has opened up about some of the Nigerian artistes he wished he had signed, revealing that he had opportunities to work with major names including Davido, Wizkid and Falz.
The music executive said he likes singer Simi and wished he had signed her, while also naming Teni as another artiste he would have loved to have under his record label.
“I like Simi, I wish I signed her. I also wish I signed Teni,” Don Jazzy said.
Reflecting on some of the biggest stars in Nigerian music, he revealed that he also had an opportunity to sign Davido but decided the singer would succeed without his backing.
“I had the chance to sign Davido, but I figured he’d be fine,” he said.
Don Jazzy further recalled that Wizkid was already signed to Banky W before he could secure the singer.
“Banky W got to Wizkid first,” he said.
He also disclosed that he almost signed Falz, but negotiations did not eventually lead to a deal.
“I almost signed Falz, but the deal didn’t work out,” he added.
Beyond the artistes he could have signed, Don Jazzy also spoke about the financial demands involved in building and managing an artiste’s career.
According to him, signing an artiste can cost as much as ₦100 million, highlighting the significant financial commitment required from record labels beyond simply discovering talented performers.
Don Jazzy, whose career spans music production, songwriting and record-label management, has played a major role in the development of several Nigerian artistes and continues to be one of the most influential figures in the country’s music industry.
His latest revelations have sparked conversations among music fans about how different the Nigerian music scene might have looked if some of those deals had eventually happened.
