These Hit-Making Artists Were Formerly Signed To Mavin Record Label, do you Remember?

partner D’Banj in 2012. The duo of Don Jazzy and D’Banj co-founded the Mo‘hits Record Label which housed lots of hit songs and albums from exceptional artists like Wande Coal, D’Prince, and D’Banj. After this controversial split, Don Jazzy founded the popular Mavin Record which today is one of the biggest and most influential record labels in Nigeria and maybe West Africa. 

The Mavin Record Label started with music acts like Tiwa Savage, Dr. Sid, Korede Bello, Di’ja, Reekado Banks, Wande Coal, Iyanya, and  D’Prince and has grown to add more successful artists along the way e.g. Rema, Ayra Starr, Johnny Drille, Ladipoe, DNA twins, Starr,

The Mavin Record Label is also known as the Supreme Mavin Dynasty is a Nigerian music record label founded by Michael Collins Ajereh popularly known as Don Jazzy after he went separate ways from his ex- Magixx and their recent signee, Boy Spyce. They have all been successful in their music career even those that are just making their mark. The label also houses producers such as Don Jazzy himself, Altims, and Baby Fresh. In 2014, DJ Big N became the label’s official disc jockey.  Mavin is said to be someone gifted and skilled in any field. 

After Don Jazzy had established the rebranded record label, he said he sees the record label as a powerhouse of music in Africa in the shortest possible time and that today isn’t farfetched.  On the 1 st of May 2014, the Mavin Record label released the hit single ‘Dorobucci’ which was released to critical acclaim and has become a classic record accustomed to the label. The Mavin Record label is 10 years this year (2022) and they have signed some hit-making Nigerian artists that have left the label to either form their own or join another one. They might have left the label but they shined under it at some point which may or may not have been the peak of their musical career. Below are some of the hit-making artists that were formerly signed to the Mavin Record Label.

Reekado Banks

Alley Hanniel Solomon, better known by his stage name Reekado Banks, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Reekado Banks used to be just a random guy in the country till he was signed by Don Jazzy to his Mavin Record Label where he flourished with lots of impressive songs and milestone awards. Reekado was discovered on Twitter in 2013, he used to sing and upload on social media but he couldn’t make it big on the platform. However, it was a stepping stone for him and it laid the foundation of his music career. According to him while talking to the Punch in 2017, he said; ‘Sometime in May 2013, Don Jazzy posted on Twitter that up and coming artistes should send in their demo CDs. My manager, who is my elder brother, was the one who saw the tweet and he brought it to my notice. To cut the long story short, out of 5,000 entries that were sent in, I was the only one that was chosen’. Reekado Banks however left the label in 2018. He announced his departure from Mavin Records after 5 years on the 7 th of December 2018 alongside the establishment of his independent outfit Banks Music. According to him, he said he left the label because his vision became a lot farther. While speaking in an interview monitored by R on Hiptv, he said; ‘leaving the label was the best decision for his career as it helped him to plan restrategize for the future and put the right structure on the ground. Banks said he felt happy to have full control over his contents, adding that he was fully equipped to run his new label successfully. He maintained that if he had stayed back at Mavin Records, he would have been equipped to run his label’. Even though Reekado Banks left the label for greener pastures, it is evident that the label made him a superstar and his career reached its peak when he was with the label. Nonetheless, Reekado is a talented music artist and he is still thriving and making hits in the music industry.

Tiwa Savage

Tiwatope Savage is a Nigerian musician and singer is one of the most recognized and influential female artists in Africa. She started her music career as a backup singer for famous musicians like George Michael, Mary J. Blige, and others. She came into the Nigerian music industry after she released the song ‘Kele Kele Love’ she became the first woman to win the ‘Best African Act’ at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in 2018.  With international collaborations with the likes of Beyonce and several endorsements, she is truly a force to be reckoned with. Inspired by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, Savage moved back to Nigeria and signed with Mavin Records in 2012. She made an appearance on the label’s 2012 compilation album Solar Plexus.

 Tiwa Savage shined a lot when she was signed to the label. She was often referred to as the first lady of the record label since she was the first female signee and she kept blooming as a headliner of the label. She released incredible Eps and Albums which have housed award-winning and classic songs like ‘Without My Heart, Standing Ovation, Bad, Ma Lo, All Over, Ife Wa Gbona, My Darlin, Koroba’ etc., she has earned herself lots of endorsements, recognition and appreciation which ha,s in tur,n rewarded her with lots of music nominations and several awards and in turn made her one of the artists that shined and glorified the label. Tiwa Savage however left the label after spending glorious seven years under the label. She left the Mavin Record label to sign a global recording deal with Universal Music Group. 

Tiwa said; ‘it’s like a dream, in an introductory interview with UMG. But more importantly, it means I’m part of a legacy—I’m part of a huge engine and it’s an honor to have an artist like me from Nigeria doing afrobeat music, which is still fairly new to the rest of the world, and it’sexciting’. It became obvious she left on a good note when Don Jazzy took to his social media page to congratulate Tiwa on this new achievement. Tiwa Savage is still shining years after the label just like she did when she was still signed under it.

Wande Coal

Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe professionally known as Wande Coal is an award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter, whose song genre is in the R&B, and Afro-pop category. He is also the founder and front-liner of Black Diamond Record Label. Wande Coal met D’Banj and Don Jazzy for the first time when they came for a concert at the University of Lagos where he danced for D’banj and was a backup singer for him. Following this, he became a music artist and he started music professionally in 2005, and Don Jazzy’s Mo’ Hits Records signed him in 2006. Wande Coal released his debut album titled ‘Mushin To Mo’Hits’ which was widely received across Nigeria, the UK, and the USA. Wande Coal has since then maintained consistency and has blessed the Nigerian mainstream with incredible songs. Wande Coal automatically became a member of the Mavin Record label when it was rebranded from Mo Hits.

 He gained popularity and stardom while working with Don Jazzy at Mo’hits and he was expected to do the same at Mavin. Surprisingly, he left the record label when Don Jazzy accused him of stealing a song he released known as ‘Baby Face’. Wande Coal was accused of intellectual property theft and things got messy between them. He however was removed from the label due to their inability to reconcile. Without further ado, Wande Coal established his record label Black Diamond and he has been doing well under it. He has released lots of incredible songs and albums under the label. Irrespective of this scandal, Wande Coal has grown to be a serial hitmaker and one of the best vocalists we have in Nigeria.

Iyanya

Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk known by his stage name Iyanya is a Nigerian Afropop singer who attained fame after winning the first season of Project Fame West Africa and is renowned for his hit single ‘Kukere’ which has become a classic today. He co-founded the record label Made Men Music Group with Ubi Franklin in 2011 where he released his debut studio album ‘My Story. Iyanya announced on Instagram in 2016 that he signed a record deal with the Mavin Records label and his fans couldn’t be more ecstatic. He however had to leave the record label not long after he was signed to it. According to him, he was fed up with life under Don Jazzy, as he couldn’t meet up with the standards he set for himself five years before that time. He further said he had to leave the label to salvage what was left of his music career. In an interview, Iyanya disclosed that; ‘he discovered it was time for him to move on and face new challenges life might throw at him, adding that he remains a Mavin for life. He is signed to Temple Music now and is still trying to salvage what is left of the successful music career he had built earlier at his peak.