US FAN VOWS TO SLAP EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR OVER DON JAZZY

Mad love seems to be growing for Michael Collins, the producer-entrepreneur known as Don Jazzy, from everywhere.

Despite not being himself a performer, the gifted music-maker has recurited nearly as much fans as his partner, the entertainer Dbanj. And on several social media where he plays actively, he’s generally loved; almost revered  by ‘friends’ and ‘followers’.

And that love may soon be taking bizarre dimensions; as a Nigerian student Busola Bada tweeted through her twitter handle @Ms_BADA: ’If i get a retweet and follow back from @DONJAZZYMOHITS i’ll slap my educational advisor in the face.’

The young Nigerian student who attends Baltimore City Community College in the United States said on micro-blogging website Twitter in the early hours of Thursday, June 30, 2011. A statement which is beginning to attract both pleasing and unpleasant comments from her friends.

Well, it’s really hard to tell what she’s in love with – the music, the money or the fame? Many Twitter users in Nigeria have become beneficiaries of Jazzy’s generosity ; he’s given out recharge cards, cash, and only recently, iPad through his Twitter account.

It won’t be surprising to find many more fans like Miss Bada, who are willing to do the nearly-impossible just to show how much in ‘love’ they are with the Mohits leader…

Don Jazzy is President of Mohits records; and, through a recent joint venture partnership between Mohits and Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music, is getting ready to launch a new phase in his career as an international producer, working with Kanye, Jay Z and other talents…

DON JAZZY OFFERS RAPPERS N.5M NAIRA THROUGH ‘BEAT COMPETITION’

Mo’Hits C.E.O and producer Don Jazzy seems to have a way with connecting with his numerous fans. He’s either giving out free call airtime on Twitter, making video calls with fans on Skype or hooking up with some at the store to give out gifts.

This time around, the G.O.O.D Music signee has taken it up a notch as he has decided to award anyone who has the best freestyle over an instrumental he created on Saturday, July 23, 2011, titled ‘Enigma‘. Naming the competition ‘DON JAZZY Beat Competition‘ the millionaire producer is using the popular music blog notjustOk as a platform to receive entries and will award the best recorded freestyle over ‘Enigma‘ $2000 (around three hundred thousand naira).

The social networks have gone bonkers as rappers have started recording and sending in their versions. Heavyweight rapper Modenine even joked about recording his version ‘I’m about murk this @Donjazzy Enigma beat for fun yall!!! I’m going in!!!!’, while popular rappers like Beazy and Cyrus Tha Virus and oLamide have recorded and released their versions.

Other notable contestants include: Rukus, Big T, Cyclone, Tesh, Pryse, Jerriey, Chibbz, Labzy Lawal, Teeklef, SplasJosh, Mataeo V and a whole lot of others.

Ovie Ofugara of notjustOk says by the time the competition ends, they’ll be more versions of ‘Enigma‘ than any other song released in Nigeria. There have been so many entries that the Don jazzy has decided to also reward the 1st and 2nd runners up. They’ll receive N150,000 and N75,000 respectively. ‘I’m proud of the rappers Naija has. I’m really impressed u guys are going in hard. Nice one guys. Keep the tracks coming o. #Enigma’, the producer tweeted.

As reported earlier, Don Jazzy was listed as a contributing producer and vocalist on ‘Lifted’, track number two off Jay Z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne‘ album. The song also features production from Kanye West and hip-hop veteran Q-Tip as well as vocals from pop star Beyonce.

JJC’S SHOCKER- ‘I HAVE 3 KIDS FROM 3 DIFFERENT WOMEN

The respected producer who recently moved back home after years of procrastinating shocked us when he revealed this week, that he’s fathered three kids with three different partners.

JJC, who was a mentor to Dbanj, Don Jazzy, Kween and many others, is still struggling to break into the mainstream in Nigeria; but he still enjoys some international recognition for his work with Big Brovaz – the  popular group he founded  and got signed to Sony Records.

In an interview with City People last week, JJC, 34, admits he’s not married ‘because it has not happened yet’. ‘I have three kids from three different ladies. The first  is 14, the second is 11 and the last is 6.’

Continuing, he says ‘I was falling in and out of love; and i like peace, joy and happiness. I’m not the woman type because most of my time is spent on music – hence the reason for my problems with women. i’m married to my music and that sorts of gets in the way of love…’

Working with his former group ’419 Squad’, JJC has won numerous awards including: the ‘Best African Group‘ category at the KORA All Africa Music Awards in 2004. His resume also boasts working with world class artistes like; Jamelia, Lemar, Jennifer Lopez, Liberty X and Genuwine.

LOVE-STRUCK TIMI DAKOLO MAKES BEAUTIFUL NOISE

I like it when people are not presumptuous. It may not make commercial sense in our music clime but, it kind of sits the singer comfortably in any gathering. This is what Beautiful Noise will do for Timi. If you’re like me and you’re tired of auto-tuned tracks, let me introduce you to an auto-tune-free album! Ring the bell.

Since Timi Dakolo was unveiled to us in 2007 on the West African Idol stage, his vocal uniqueness has remained that uncommon husky tinge perfect for serenading the listener when applied to simple or complex love lines. Beautiful Noise shows one that the debutante is well aware of his strength as he stays in his comfort region, experimenting very little.

The 12-track album includes an intro, a re-mix and five collaborations.

Apart from his three earlier released singles, ‘Let it Shine’, ‘Heaven Please’ and ‘There’s a Cry’, every other song is themed around love and so titled. Between making promises to The woman I (he) love(s) and writing her a befitting ‘Love Song’ on Tracks three and seven respectively, Timi remains in his comfortable R&B environment. He screams ‘I Love You’ again in Track four just before asking ‘Is it Over’ on Track six where he gets a beautiful assist from newcomer Joan Ekpai who sounds almost like gospel singer Lara George.

Elvis Larri helps deliver beautiful danceable mid-tempo music in the tenth track where Ghana-born Timi speaks a bit of Yoruba. In a fashion that brings back memories of Late Jaiye Aboderin-led Synergy’s only released recording, Elvis and Timi sing ‘So beautiful’. However the track could have been better named ‘Lekeleke’ or ‘Ololufe’, words which were used repetitively throughout the track.

On Track seven, producer extraordinaire Cobhams sings and raps to Timi’s first official party anthem titled ‘Raise the roof’. With beat, sequence and production facsimile to Darey’s ‘The way you are’ (equally produced by Cobhams), the duo do a good job, creating a much-needed detour from the love overdose.

The album closes with a remix of ‘I love you’ where Jesse Jagz lends his rhyming prowess, waking up the song and bringing a fresh dimension to delivering love songs.

Beautiful Noise is a good diversion from the up-tempo saturation we have dropping on the radio every other day. It runs the risk of getting boring though unless you’re such an introvert. I’d name I love You, Raise the roof, So Beautiful and I love You remix as album-breakers without which I wouldn’t have survived listening to the entire album, but for the sake of review.

Altogether, it’s a safe album.

DON JAZZY OFFERS OVER N1.2 MILLION IN OLIVER DANCE COMPETITION

For over three weeks, Mohits Records boss, Michael Collins a.k.a Don Jazzy ‘Enigma Music Competition created so much buzz on and off Twitter, getting so many artistes all creative and yet again he is in the news offering over N1.2 Million naira ($7,500) and other consolation prizes for a Dance Video Competition to D’ banj new song, Oliver. Mohits Records have stated the call for fun videos from either individuals or group dancing to the Oliver song, which the Mohits crew themselves made a fun video to on their official website dancing energetically to tunes radiating from the gigantic sound system behind them.

According to Mohits Records’ official website, ‘following the success of the #Enigma competition we at Mo’Hits Records have decided to give a chance to people with different kinds of talent – Dance, Comedy or anything Entertaining…’

Don Jazzy gave away N560, 000 naira ($3, 500) in the Enigma competition where he created the beat and released on Twitter for artistes to sing over. However, unlike the first contest which has three places, this one has five positions; 1st place gets $2, 5000, 2nd place to grab $2, 000, 3rd $1, 500, the 4th position to get $1,000 and finally in the 5th position $500. He also stated that top 10 entries will be part of the Official Oliver video and top 50 to get a free Koko Mobile Handset.

Ranking as the first Nigerian to get over 100, 000 followers on Twitter, Don Jazzy has emerged as a strong brand himself. And just as the mad-rush flooded the streets, facebook and twitter at the release of Enigma, we bet this again would keep many so busy.

Cee Lo Green And others To Sing At Michael Jackson Tribute Concert

The Soul Machine will take the stage alongside Christina Aguilera, Craig David and others to pay tribute to the King of Pop.

Cee Lo Green is among the artists tapped to pay tribute to Michael Jackson at a concert in October.
The concert, which Reuters reports will take place in Britain, will be broadcast worldwide in 2D and 3D on pay television and movie theaters. Proceeds will go to AIDS and other charities.

Other artists involved include Christina Aguilera, Smokey Robinson, Leona Lewis, Craig David and pop band JLS.

Promoters of the "Michael Forever" concert said other big names would be announced later.
"We're delighted that such exciting and globally recognized acts have joined the line-up to pay tribute to a music legend...We'll be adding more amazing headliners in the days to come," said Chris Hunt, president of concert promoter Global Live Events, in a statement.

Common To Release Autobiography "One Day It'll All Make Sense" On September 13th

Lonnie tells his life story in his upcoming biography, which Maya Angelou describes as a "magnificent memoir."

Common is set to release his autobiography One Day It'll All Make Sense on September 13th through Atria Books.

According to Amazon (via MissInfo.tv), the 320-page memoir, co-authored with Adam Bradley, "tells what it was like for a boy with big dreams growing up on the South Side of Chicago. He reveals how he almost quit rapping after his first album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, sold only two thousand copies. He recounts his rise to stardom, giving a behind-the-scenes look into the recording studios, concerts, movie sets, and after-parties of a hip-hop celebrity and movie star. He reflects on his controversial invitation to perform at the White House, a story that grabbed international headlines. And he talks about the challenges of balancing fame, love, and fatherhood."

The book also reveals never-before-told stories about Common's encounters with everyone from Lauryn Hill to President Barack Obama. The work is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.

Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Watch The Throne" Breaks iTunes Sales Record

Hov and 'Ye's collaborative album becomes the highest selling digital album in history for first-week sales.

Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album Watch the Throne, which was released exclusively to iTunes last Monday (August 8th), has broken a record for the online store.

According to reports, the LP has become the highest selling album in the store's history for first-week sales, moving about 290,000 copies to break Coldplay's previous record with 2008's Viva La Vida, which sold 155,000 copies.

Upon its release last week, Watch the Throne rocketed to number one in 23 countries worldwide. Final first-week sales, inclusive of digital and physical units, will be reported on Wednesday.

Jessica Alba Gives Birth to Daughter Haven Garner!

It's a girl!
Jessica Alba gave birth to daughter Haven Garner Warren, the actress announced on Facebook Saturday.
"She was born on Saturday, weighed 7 lbs and was 19 inches long. Healthy and happy!" Alba wrote. "Big sister Honor couldn't be more excited about the new addition to our family." "Thank you for all of your support during my pregnancy. It means the world to me."

This is the actress' second child with hubby Cash Warren. In July, the Spy Kids 4 actress told Us Weekly that Honor, 3, was "as excited as a kid can be [about becoming a big sister], even though she doesn't really know what it means just yet."

As of last month, Alba was still getting things ready for her family's newest addition. "The nursery isn't ready. It's not even close, but I'm accumulating things," she told Us. "In the beginning the baby stays with me in the room, so you don't need the nursery ready so soon. We're remodeling our house, so it's going to take a few months. I'm really taking my time."

The actress admits she wasn't very "chill" during the birth of her first child, so she took "hypnobirth classes" to prepare for the delivery of baby number two. "It's not like the clock in front of your face and you go out and you wake up and you got a baby," she joked on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in May. "Basically my husband takes me through sort of a meditation. He'll say, 'You're relaxed, and you're floating on clouds' while you're going through labor and your contractions. I'm just concentrating on breathing and staying relaxed because it's when you get tense that makes the whole labor worse and more painful. That's all it is. It's not like a weird thing."

Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" Becomes Highest-Charting Female Rap Song Since 2002

Rap singles by solo female emcees rarely crack the Pop chart's top ten, but Nicki joins a short list that includes Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Da Brat.

By moving from the number four spot up to the number three spot on Billboard magazine’s “Hot 100” singles chart, Nicki Minaj’s single “Super Bass”  threatens to break a decade-long record that is currently held by Missy Elliott. The record was established in 2002, when Missy’s “Work It” reached the number two spot and remained there for 10 consecutive weeks. As it is, “Super Bass” has already become the most commercially successful solo single by a female rapper in nearly a decade.

Should Nicki’s latest single move to a higher slot on the chart, it will be the third time within two years that the Young Money artist has made Billboard history. In 2010, Nicki Minaj became the first female emcee to have seven songs on the Billboard Top 200 Singles chart. She followed that feat by becoming the first female Rap artist with an album in the top 10 for 14 consecutive weeks or more. The previous record was held by Lauryn Hill, with 10 consecutive weeks for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

“Nicki isn't like any other female rapper,” says Cash Money co-founder/co-CEO Ronald “Slim” Williams, told Billboard. “We knew she had the goods when Lil Wayne signed her. She's not a female rapper—she's a pop star who happens to rap.”

A full breakdown, including the previous female Rap artists to crack the top 10, and why some high-profile Rap/Pop collaborations didn’t meet the proper classification, is available at Billboard.com.