DJ Jimmy Jatt is regarded as Nigeria’s number one Disc Jockey. He is, therefore, always working his fingers to the bone to maintain his prime position as the numero uno on the turntable.
With many projects on the ground, he definitely has a lot up his sleeves.
“I’m into several projects, but I’m not in the habit of talking about them until I’m ready to put them out. I’m primarily more concerned about playing gigs and moving about parties, shows, events. And, of course, I’m working on releasing some songs,” he says.
This year, a Nigerian musician, Timaya, was nominated for the Grammy Award, but he didn’t win it just like previous nominees, King Sunny Ade and Femi Anikulapo-Kuti.
Jatt, however, feels Nigerian musicians and artistes should focus more on raising the standard of local awards to a level that every artise would hanker after or covet them as Americans long for the Grammy Award.
everybody from elsewhere is aiming for the Grammy. I always feel like if we support our own award organisers in Nigeria and develop it to a level that’s respected…then we’ll have something that we can say this is our own brand. But the unfortunate thing about Nigerians, or really, us as Africans, is that colonial mentality has not left us
He says, “For me, I’m always quick to ask why everybody is aiming for the Grammy. Because, first of all, it might be a global award, but it’s essentially an American award. So, I feel like it’s not wrong to aim at getting it, but primarily, understand that it’s an American award, and your music, or you as an artiste, must cut across within that American space. You understand what I’m saying? So, even if you’re in the world category, it would be that you’ve cut across the American music space. So, really it’s not. I don’t think, because it’s old, and Americans have given it that respect, and placed it where it is; that’s why everybody from elsewhere is aiming for the Grammy. I always feel like if we support our own award organisers in Nigeria and develop it to a level that is respected, and you know, people aspire to win a topmost Nigerian music award, then we’ll have something that we can say this is our own brand. But the unfortunate thing about Nigerians, or really, us as Africans is that colonial mentality has not left us. So, as far as something is from the Western world, it is seen as validation of what you’re doing. So, the one for us and by us is never appreciated. And people will continue to look down on anything that we do here as against supporting it and letting it grow to that extent.”
In spite of the collaborations between Nigerian musicians and American artistes such as Rick Ross, Akon, TI and Drake, Nigerian music has failed to cut across US as required to win the Grammy. Why this?
He replies, “Nigerian music has cut across the world. Yes, I’ve played everywhere in the world; so I know. The only thing is that, sometimes, we’re looking at it from a different angle. The collaborations that Nigerians have done with the biggest song in Nigeria, or the biggest Nigerian song across the world, are they songs that Nigerians collaborated with other artistes from other places or were they just songs they did themselves, you know? Artistes have done collaborations with the biggest of American artistes. Are the songs really big within our own walls? Or are they really big within the four walls of Africa? It still boils down to what I said earlier; that we always need validation from the western world, which is wrong, and the sooner we realise that, the better. We’re in a continent of a billion people. We need to understand the power. We’re a quarter of that continent as Nigerians; we need to understand that we shouldn’t be chasing validation from elsewhere. If it happens, it happens; not a do-or-die affair. But the collaboration is always essential. You must spread what you’re doing. Same way, they need to collaborate with us. But let’s not see that as validation that you’re doing great.”
It is said that no Nigerian artiste broke through in the nation’s music industry last year. What was responsible for this? Jatt swiftly replies, “I’ll not agree with that. Several new names are out there. And when you say breakthrough, some artistes might have been grounded for years, but their breakthrough came within that year. But the fact that you’ve been hearing about them before that last year, you might think they’re not breakthrough artistes. Every month, there’s one new artiste that we’re like who’s this guy, you understand what I’m saying? So, I don’t agree there was no breakthrough artiste last year.”
And speaking about the concerts he organises through his Jimmy’s Jump Off brand, he came clean on if he makes profit on them or not or just holds them to keep the industry jumping.
Talking about making money in the industry, the popular DJ says certain factors have continued to make that harder.
“Primarily you hope and aim that you can at least breakthrough in terms of whatever you invest. But a lot of times, you don’t get enough support from here and there. People that do buy tickets want free seats. The corporate sector that should support are busy organising their own events. A lot of corporate organisations that are meant to be supporting and sponsoring events are now event organisers. And you know what I mean by that. If you look at the telecoms, a lot of them have their own events that they organise. If you look at the beverage companies, or drink companies, they have their own events. In other places, such organisations, or such corporate bodies, buy into events by events people. But around here, I think everybody is just Jack-of-all-trades.”
