Warring
founders of Mo’Hits, Don Jazzy and D’banj, are throwing barbs at each
other as they move to divest their investments and interests in the
label, a confidential email correspondence between them has revealed.
If
you are one of those who still think that the fallout of Mo’Hits
founders, D’banj and Don Jazzy, is a rumour which will dissipate in no
time, you probably still live in the past. In fact, in order to make the
future safe from the past, the duo is already formalising plans to
share their assets especially on the ownership of the mouth-watering
Mo’Hits catalogue comprising all D’banj’s albums (No Long Thing, Rundown Funk U Up and The Entertainer), Wande Coal’s Mushin to Mo’Hits and The Mo’Hits Crew All Stars’ album, Curriculum Vitae among
others. Thus, as you read, Mo’Hits is only waiting for legal
certification before it is pronounced dead. And the pallbearers are
already waiting in the flanks to ferry the remains of the beloved label
to its final resting place, bringing to a painful end the reign and run
of the successful label.
In
the meantime, the Mo’Hits crew has been divided, as the two figures in
the unfolding drama are moving out with their different disciples:
D’banj’s younger brother, K-Switch, understandably, goes with him while
Wande Coal, Dr Sid and D’Prince have settled for Don Jazzy. The future
of the label’s artiste manager, Sunday Are, is unknown. Long before the
separation became public knowledge, D’banj and Don Jazzy were no longer
on speaking terms, an authoritative source tells E-Punch.
Neither
do they see eye to eye. In fact, at their last concert in New York in
February, they only met on stage because each artiste had his own
cubicle. Rather, they communicate via email only when necessary. In a
confidential email correspondence between the former collaborators,
exclusively obtained by E-Punch, the sordid details that might
have led to their break up are veiled, but the bitterness-laced
correspondences are open about their claims for the assets of Mo’Hits
especially the catalogues of all the artistes.
D’banj must pay all the debts of Mo’Hits – Don Jazzy
In
regards to D’banj’s claim for 100 percent ownership of all songs
recorded under the Mo’Hits imprint, the acclaimed producer in an email
on March 17th, states, “That Mo’Hits Records does not already own 100
per cent of the songs. Note that Mo’Hits Records only owns 60 per cent
of the songs and 40 per cent belongs to the individual artiste. So, 40
per cent of the songs is not mine to give.” He continues, “That me (I
am) giving him (D’banj) my share of the catalogue does not and will
never include him having the right to stop them (the artistes) from
performing the songs or give him the right to claim any monies for live
performances of these songs. And any loans or debt owed by Mo’Hits
records as at today will be cleared by Mr D’banj as I am clearly not
aware of any.”
Don
Jazzy states further that the catalogues he is releasing to his former
partner only consists of songs already released in an album exempting
new singles and unreleased materials. “So, songs like Wande Coal’sGo Low and Been Long You Saw Me are
not part of this catalogue he is receiving. Also, an artiste like
D’Prince, not only has he not released any album, he has not signed any
contract whatsoever with Mo’Hits Records. That he has no right to claim
any monies for deals that have been brokered already as at today with
the catalogues or stop their usage. It is important to note that any
unreleased songs done by any artiste (including D’banj and K-Switch)
MUST NOT be released and is not part of the catalogue I am giving away.”
He
adds, “With these few points, I do hope that you all realise that I
have been generous enough to facilitate the End of the “D’banj & Don
Jazzy” era as a team. After this new deal has been signed and sealed, I
do NOT look forward to seeing an email whatsoever or hearing from the
DKM (D’banj, K-Switch, Mo’Hits) crew, and all is well again.”
Will you return the Bentley I bought for you? – D’banj
Same
day, D’banj responded to the email, stating, “In case he (Don Jazzy)
forgot, this is the arrangement! 50/50—–song writer/ production, which
means for a song X for artiste Y, 75 per cent as per production is fully
owned by Mo’Hits and writing is shared 25/25 with the individual
artiste co- writing. So, that’s the deal! So him (sic) saying 40 per
cent is not his to give away is more like 75per me and 25per each
artiste.”
He
then asks, “What do you mean by any bills or loans would be cleared by
Mr. D’banj? That will never happen because when I ran the company, I ran
it perfectly and well. So, if I give him my shares he is left with 100
per cent liability. My catalogue is everything that has been done with
the Mo’Hits system and under the normal agreement we have, that means
everything I have recorded or that has been recorded whether new or old,
or even classic, whether beat with concept or even idea without beats,
anything we did as a team and sponsored by me throughout, then, it is
mine. Including K-switch clause and all mine and even Wande’s singles
and all till the date of signing even
today.”
Read Interesting part below >>>
Continuing,
D’banj writes, “And now, (I) wanna clear the air on this Samsung deal! I
would expect by now that you understand that me keeping quiet is being
GENEROUS because this is a deal structured under Mo’Hits Records, (and
it is) the first deal and income you would ever bring into the company
in eight years. We shared the first 150k (One hundred and fifty
thousand dollars) the right way, 1/3 down and that was cool. But after
you collected another 130k and did not say anything (that) is and could
be described as theft! I only refused to contact them (Samsung) directly
because of your reputation. But please don’t call me a fool and let’s
know who is generous!” D’banj was not coy about his anger. He states
that after sharing over N1bn with Don Jazzy in their Mo’Hits days, he
was shocked that the producer would now sideline him when he got the
balance from Samsung.’’
D’banj
writes further, “Please, please, will he (Don Jazzy) return the Bentley
because I bought it for him and it was N5.2m more than mine? And Prince
that he claims has no signed contract but is actively involved and
signed via engagement– I win his catalogue too – all recorded whether
released now or not! This is because no one questioned me when I bought
D’Prince N11m naira car (LR3/Range) without releasing any album just to
boost the image of the boy and it worked for him! So, let’s get the
facts straight, I AM BEING MORE THAN GENEROUS.”
Good music deal and other issues
After Don Jazzy inferred on twitter that the end might have come for Mo’Hits, E-Punch reliably
gathers that D’banj was prevailed upon by close friends and associates
not to talk despite being aggrieved that his lifelong friend had painted
him black before the public. But the hyperactive entertainer, the
source says, may have reached his tether’s end and any moment from now
would reveal to the world all that went wrong between him and Don Jazzy.
Part of what he will talk about, E-Punch learns, will dwell on
the genesis of their separation and the point at which Don Jazzy
advised that they did away with Mo’Hits and concentrate on their GOOD
Music deal. “It was D’banj who prevailed on him that even if they were
going to concentrate on their deal with Kanye, they didn’t need to do
away with Mo’Hits,” says the source. When the deal with GOOD Music
sailed through, Don Jazzy was signed on as a producer while D’banj was
the artiste. By virtue of how the American music system works, producers
are only meant to be heard not seen. So, the source says further,
“Kanye and D’banj and the other guys were always going out leaving
behind the producers, including Don Jazzy, which didn’t go down well
with him. After some time, D’banj noticed this and to placate him, he
bought both of them a Bentley each. Further, he also bought a house in
Atlanta, equipped with high tech studio equipment so that Don Jazzy
could be working mostly from their new home but he was not appeased as
he felt that he was being outshined by D’banj.”
On
the other hand, Don Jazzy allegedly told his close associates that the
reason he decided to part ways with D’banj was because of an alleged
arrogance which was impacting negatively on the other artistes. Long
before Mo’Hits evolved, they were friends before becoming partners,
putting up with each other’s shortcomings but fame and money have
combined to becloud their tolerance of each other.
Credit : PUNCH, Nigeria
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