Don Jazzy says he blew his first music money, then built a business
- Don Jazzy told the On The Grind podcast he spent his first big music earnings on champagne and clubbing.
- He said he then began putting later earnings into signing artistes and other businesses.
- He advised young Nigerians to invest early rather than spend on things that do not last.
Michael Collins Ajereh, the producer and label boss Nigerians know as Don Jazzy, has said his first serious payday from music went on a night out rather than into any business.
Speaking on the On The Grind podcast, he recalled buying 50 bottles of champagne and taking the party to a club with that early money. He described the spending as wasteful, saying he did not put it to any useful purpose at the time.
He said he soon changed course and began putting later earnings into signing new artistes and into other ventures. That shift, he said, is why he no longer needs to work for a living.
His advice to young earners
Don Jazzy urged young people who are just starting to earn to think about where the money goes. His point was simple: the earlier you put money into something that grows, the sooner it can carry you.
"You don't necessarily have to invest in a record label, but the money you are making in your youth, invest it in a lucrative business as opposed to wasting it on frivolities."
He made clear that a record label is only one route. Any sound business can serve the same purpose, he said, as long as the money is not frittered away.
For young Nigerians, many of whom earn their first real money from music, sports, content creation or side hustles, the message lands on a familiar problem: how to hold on to income when friends, family and the pressure to show off all pull at it.
His own example is a caution as much as a template. The champagne came first, by his account, and the investing came after. He is asking others to skip the first part.