Don Jazzy at a glance (updated 8 November 2026): Don Jazzy’s real name is Michael Collins Ajereh. He was born on 26 November 1982 in Umuahia, Abia State, so he is 43 and turns 44 this month. He co-founded Mo’ Hits Records with D’banj in 2004 and founded Mavin Records in May 2012, the label behind Tiwa Savage’s rise, Rema and Ayra Starr. In February 2024 Universal Music Group agreed to buy a majority stake in Mavin Global; Don Jazzy stayed on as CEO. He was married to Michelle Jackson from 2003 to about 2005 and has not remarried. There is no verified figure for his net worth.
Don Jazzy is the producer who shaped the Mo’ Hits sound of the 2000s and the executive who built Mavin into Nigeria’s best-known record label. This profile sets out what is on the record about his life and career, from Ajegunle to the Universal Music deal, and leaves out the invented figures that fill many online biographies of him.
Don Jazzy: Quick Facts
| Real name | Michael Collins Ajereh |
| Born | 26 November 1982, Umuahia, Abia State |
| Age | 43 (turns 44 on 26 November 2026) |
| Parents | Collins Enebeli Ajereh (Isoko, Delta State) and Mrs Ajereh (Igbo, Abia State), who died in 2022 |
| Raised | Ajegunle, Lagos |
| Education | Federal Government College, Lagos; business management at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma |
| Labels | Mo’ Hits Records (co-founded 2004); Mavin Records (founded May 2012) |
| Current role | Founder and CEO, Mavin Global (majority-owned by Universal Music Group) |
| Brother | D’Prince, singer and Mavin executive |
| Marriage | Michelle Jackson (married 2003; divorced about 2005) |
| Net worth | No verified figure (see below) |
Early Life and Education
Michael Collins Ajereh was born on 26 November 1982 in Umuahia. His father, Collins Enebeli Ajereh, is Isoko from Delta State, and his mother was an Igbo princess from Abia State. The family moved to Ajegunle in Lagos, where he grew up. He could play the bass guitar and piano by the age of 12.
He attended Federal Government College, Lagos, and went on to study business management at Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma, Edo State. In 2000 an uncle invited him to London to play drums at a local church. While he built his music career there, he worked as a security guard at a McDonald’s.
London and Mo’ Hits Records
In London, Don Jazzy worked with a circle of Nigerian musicians that included JJC Skillz, Jesse Jagz, the 419 Squad and D’banj. With D’banj he founded Mo’ Hits Records in 2004, with Don Jazzy producing and D’banj as the frontman.
Don Jazzy produced D’banj’s albums No Long Thing and Rundown/Funk You Up, and worked on D’banj’s The Entertainer and Wande Coal’s Mushin 2 Mohits, both released in 2008. The label’s roster also included Dr SID, K-Switch and his brother D’Prince. His production won Producer of the Year at the Nigerian Music Awards in 2006 and at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in 2007.
Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music
In 2011, Kanye West hired Don Jazzy as a producer, and he worked as an in-house producer for West’s G.O.O.D. Music from 2011 to 2013. He shares a production credit with Jay-Z and Kanye West on “Lift Off”, featuring Beyoncé, from Watch the Throne, released on 8 August 2011. He also won Producer of the Year at the 2011 Headies.
The Mo’ Hits partnership ended in March 2012, when Don Jazzy and D’banj confirmed their split and cited artistic differences.
Mavin Records
Don Jazzy announced Mavin Records on 7 May 2012 and launched it the next day with the compilation album Solar Plexus. Tiwa Savage signed in 2012 and became the label’s first major star. Wande Coal left in November 2013 after a public dispute with Don Jazzy over the song “Baby Face”. The 2014 posse cut “Dorobucci” won Don Jazzy his second Headies Producer of the Year award.
Mavin’s second wave arrived later in the decade. Rema signed in 2019, Ayra Starr in 2020 and Magixx in 2021. Johnny Drille, Ladipoe, Bayanni, Lifesize Teddy and Boy Spyce have also recorded for the label, while Reekado Banks and others have moved on. Don Jazzy has said he never tried to sign Davido because he “knew he was going to be big”.
In March 2026 Crayon, a Mavin artist since 2019, posted angry messages about Don Jazzy and COO Tega Oghenejobo on X and released a single under a new imprint, Olodum Entertainment, without Mavin branding. Mavin did not comment publicly. In May 2026, on the Crea8torium podcast, Don Jazzy rejected claims that the label favours some artists over others, calling such a practice “financially illogical” and saying slow release schedules are usually the artists’ own choice.
The Universal Music Deal
Mavin grew from a label into a company. In 2019 it raised a multi-million-dollar investment from Kupanda Holdings, a joint venture of Kupanda Capital and TPG Growth.
On 26 February 2024, Universal Music Group announced it would buy a majority stake in Mavin Global, subject to regulatory approval. TPG sold its entire stake, while Kupanda stayed on as a minority investor. The price was not disclosed. Under the deal, Don Jazzy remains founder and CEO and Tega Oghenejobo remains COO, and UMG said Mavin would keep control of its own strategy and artist development.
Other Work and Businesses
- Acting: a role in Moses Inwang’s The Last 3 Digits (2012), and a part in the sequel to Introducing the Kujus, announced in April 2023.
- Jazzy Burger: a burger business he launched in 2022 with Richard Chinedu Nnadi.
- Bammby: a dating and social app he co-founded with Efungwu Opata.
Personal Life
Don Jazzy married Michelle Jackson in 2003, when he was about 20, and they divorced about two years later. He has said his ambition contributed to the marriage ending, and he kept it largely private until a 2021 interview in which he explained why he has not remarried. He has no publicly known children.
In July 2022 he announced on Instagram that his mother had died of cancer. He is a member of the Cherubim and Seraphim church.
Don Jazzy’s Net Worth in 2026
There is no verified figure for Don Jazzy’s net worth. The estimates you see online vary widely and are not based on published accounts or a disclosed valuation.
What is on the record: he founded Mavin and still runs it, Universal Music bought a majority of Mavin Global in 2024 for an undisclosed price, and he has production royalties going back to 2004 and stakes in other ventures. How much of Mavin he still owns has not been made public, so any precise figure is a guess.
Timeline
| Year | What happened |
| 1982 | Born on 26 November in Umuahia; raised in Ajegunle, Lagos |
| 2000 | Goes to London to play drums at a church |
| 2003 | Marries Michelle Jackson (divorced about 2005) |
| 2004 | Co-founds Mo’ Hits Records with D’banj |
| 2006 | Producer of the Year, Nigerian Music Awards |
| 2008 | Works on D’banj’s The Entertainer and Wande Coal’s Mushin 2 Mohits |
| 2011 | Joins Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music as a producer; “Lift Off” credit on Watch the Throne |
| March 2012 | Mo’ Hits partnership with D’banj ends |
| May 2012 | Launches Mavin Records with Solar Plexus |
| 2014 | Headies Producer of the Year for “Dorobucci” |
| 2019 | Signs Rema; Mavin raises investment from Kupanda Holdings |
| 2020 | Signs Ayra Starr |
| 2022 | Launches Jazzy Burger; his mother dies |
| February 2024 | Universal Music Group agrees to buy a majority stake in Mavin Global |
| 2026 | Responds to favouritism claims in May after Crayon’s public criticism in March |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Don Jazzy?
Don Jazzy is 43. He was born on 26 November 1982 and turns 44 on 26 November 2026.
What is Don Jazzy’s real name?
Michael Collins Ajereh. “Don Jazzy” is his stage name.
Where is Don Jazzy from?
He was born in Umuahia, Abia State, and raised in Ajegunle, Lagos. His father is Isoko from Delta State and his mother was Igbo from Abia State.
Is Don Jazzy married?
No. He was married to Michelle Jackson from 2003 until their divorce about two years later, and he has not remarried. He has no publicly known children.
Did Don Jazzy sell Mavin Records?
He sold control, not the whole company. In February 2024 Universal Music Group agreed to buy a majority stake in Mavin Global, with Don Jazzy staying on as founder and CEO. The price was not disclosed.
Did Don Jazzy work with Kanye West?
Yes. He was an in-house producer at Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music from 2011 to 2013 and shares a production credit on “Lift Off” from Watch the Throne.
What is Don Jazzy’s net worth?
There is no verified figure. Mavin’s sale price and his remaining stake are not public, so online estimates are guesses.
Sources
- Wikipedia: “Don Jazzy” (early life, career, awards and personal life), accessed 8 November 2026
- Music Business Worldwide: “Universal Music Group buys majority stake in Afrobeats label Mavin”, 26 February 2024
- AllAfrica/Leadership: “Crisis rocks Mavin Records as Crayon criticises Don Jazzy”, 17 March 2026
- GhanaWeb: “Don Jazzy denies Mavin Records artist favouritism claims”, 14 May 2026
Last updated: 8 November 2026 · NaijaSabi Entertainment Desk. We removed unverified claims from an earlier version of this profile, including income and valuation figures.
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