KEHINDE AJOSE Lessons drawn from Don Jazzy on how to move from ‘Best Kept Secret' to becoming a ‘DON’ in your field Copyright 2015, Kehinde Ajose All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be used, shared or photocopied without obtaining written permission from the author. ISBN: 978-978-948-685-4 Published & Print: Hedge Publishing Ventures 6/8, Yusuf Street, Oke-Ira, Ogba, Lagos. 08135891291, 08023771690 Author’s contact: E-mail: [email protected] Facebook: Facebook.com/Ajose.Kehinde Twitter: @iamkenniajose Instagram: iamkenniajose Website: www.kennisplace.com Tel: 08024212530, 08031346466 WELCOME i, my name is Kehinde Ajose, I am a ‘Writist.’ Everything I do is tied around writing and speaking. Like most writers, I love words the way Hkids devour their favourite candy and dudes roar about their favourite football clubs. There was a period in my writing journey when I wasn't getting the feedback I wanted. I would painstakingly craft those words like a sculptor sculpts beautiful artistic pieces and I won't even get a like on Facebook or endless flows of comments on my blog. Then it dawned on me - my eureka moment came; life slapped me and my wake- up call embraced me. Like Betty Irabor would say, “Whenever you wake up is your morning.” I woke up from my slumber. I started seeing myself in a different light; applying some no nonsense, unusual principles that made me slam dunk and started winning in the writing game. iv This book is not a self-praise manifesto or a hero-worship material devoted to singing the praise of Don Jazzy, rather it’s meant to instruct, inspire, and make you draw lessons from the life, career, detours and bumps on the path of Don Jazzy’s journey to stardom and greatness. it’s been said that we get inspired by the examples from the lives of others. Whitney Houston watched her older cousin Dionne Warwick release hit after hit and dreamt one day of being just like her. The dream came to pass because she had someone to model her life after. Let me quickly say here that you don’t have to be another ‘Don Jazzy’ cooking beats in the music kitchen for people to savour and enjoy. All you need do is to discover your God-given assets (a combination of your gifts, talents, and natural endowments, develop it, monetize it, and impact your world through it)... that’s how to be Donjazzified! This journey promises to be a fun ride devoid of traffic jams... You won’t even have to stop by to buy your favourite drink... It’s ‘edutainment’ all the way! DEDICATION es I know I am supposed to write a long boring essay on who this book is dedicated to, but I won’t do that. I dedicate this book to the un- Yrewarded, under-compensated, die-hard dedicated individuals who have consistently striven to move from average to awesome in their various spheres of life. This book is for you. Keep being better than your best. vi TABLE O CONTENTS Welcome iii Dedication v One You are a Star 1 Two Don of Differentiation 5 Three Bounce Back like Don Jazzy 11 Four Be Irresistible on Twitter like Don Jazzy 17 Five Be a Rainbow in Someone’s Cloud 21 Six Wow!... The Pathway to being Remarkable 27 Seven Embrace Focus like Don Jazzy 31 Eight Echoes from the Street 35 Nine After all is said and ‘Don’ 39 Rave Reviews for Donjazzified! 43 Appreciation 47 About the Author 49 viii ONE YOU ARE A STAR… Dream of a better version of you Donjazzyfied 2 Everybody has something they wish they were doing. The lawyer who wishes he was a best-selling author... The civil servant who wishes she was a successful fashion designer... The actor who never made it to Tinsel Town but dreams and sees his dream come to reality by watching other actors’ movies... The retired soccer star who wishes he was still in the game... The writer who wishes she didn’t throw her manuscript into the dustbin... if I could go back in time and give my confused, slim, shirt-wearing, 13-year-old self some advice, it would be: ‘Dare to dream’. I can recall the first time my article was published in a national daily as a teenager; I felt on top of the world, like I had just won a million dollars. This is the me that had been criticised for You are a STAR 3 having a bad handwriting and underestimated back in secondary school. I did that because I dared to see a new me in spite of what public opinion said. Dream of a better version of you Enter Don Jazzy Step away from the glamour and attention he garners whenever he steps on the red carpet, Don Jazzy’s journey to stardom has been filled with bumps and detours. Michael Collins Ajereh, the renowned music producer and entrepreneur has had his own fair share of life’s hard knocks. According to him, his family moved to Ajegunle in Lagos where he sold Akara (bean cake) and pap with his younger brother, D’Prince. In pursuit of his love music, he found himself doing odd jobs in London in order to survive. He even got a job as a security guard in one of the eateries there. Today, he enjoys the dividends of success and savours the trappings of greatness because he dreamt of a better version of himself. Donjazzyfied 4 One of the barricades you will have to cross in order to dream of a better you is to stop romancing excuses; excuses for not living your dreams and doing what you are capable of. Stop complaining about your deprivation and deficit, they are not enough reasons to throw in the towel and give up. Don Jazzy is a living testimony. Stop complaining that you don’t have a platform, stop ranting about not having the resources to record that album. Enough of making excuses. Stop that crap! (Sorry if that sounds too harsh). “You may be years away from your dream. That’s okay. But don’t you dare spend another minute lying to yourself and others about what’s holding you back.” - Jeff Goins TWO THE D.O.N OF DIFFERENTIATION Donjazzyfied 6 xpressing your own individuality is the pathway to being different. In a world where sameness is the order of the day, it is only those who dare to Ewalk the path less travelled that will enjoy life’s offerings. Being different in this context means the traits and actions that stand you out from the maddening crowd in your area of expertise.In an overcrowded hyper- competitive world, the only way to make an impression on your prospect is to break through the noise. “The formula of telling everybody how great you are with your state-of-the-art solutions, commitment to customer service, and best prices in town just won't cut it,” says marketing expert, Lauron Sonnier, author of Think Like a Marketer. D - Do it differently How do you get to the point where your book gets picked out of the several books in the bookstore or your shampoo gets customer's attention? It’s a function of doing things differently. You will agree with me that Don Jazzy isn’t your regular music producer. His carriage, dress sense, aura, brand identity; all speak volumes of his uniqueness. He does things differently. He doesn’t always get it right every time, but he always gets the attention of his audience just like he The D.O.N of Differentiation 7 did with his massive hit song, “Dorobucci”. In the same vein, success in any field is tied to being different. O - Only be outstanding Don Jazzy in one of his tweets said, “Don’t compare yourself to others, at the same time never stop growing and being better than you were yesterday. I am happy being Don Jazzy every day.” Before now, music producers were known to be behind the scene and make a name for themselves from their music studios. Today, the story has changed. Don Jazzy has given music producers a face and a facelift. If you are going to become a leader in your industry, then it is imperative to learn to do something that will cause you to lead the way. In his article, ‘The Mavins Doromania: Blending musical ingenuity with street savvy,’ Toni Kan, the renowned author and literary luminary said this about Don Jazzy’s ingenuity in Dorobucci: “On the surface, as with most Don Donjazzyfied 8 Jazzy produced songs, Dorobucci sounds like something you would hear from inebriated kegites on a lazy Friday night but the difference is that while the melody might sound commonplace, Don Jazzy (who by the way is not called a Don for nothing), has sprinkled his sound and song with the revitalizing ash of novelty, thus elevating this simple ditty into a national anthem.” N - Next level mind-set Success is not a destination, it is a journey without a bus stop. The moment you pause to rest on your laurels, you will stop succeeding. Ever since his entry into the entertainment scene, he has striven to become relevant. Little wonder Nigeria Entertainment Today (NET), a leading entertainment publication named him one of the most influential persons in Nigeria’s entertainment scene. Ebony Life TV Executive chairman and CEO, Mo Abudu puts it this way, “The secret for me is never believe in your own hype.