Jimmy Adewale Amu (born October 15) popularly known as DJ Jimmy Jatt, is a Nigerian music producer, audio engineer and DJ. He was born in Lagos State.
He was named after an incident in his grandfather’s life. His growing years were not untowardly eventful, almost typical of children born after the civil war. Little is said about the circumstances concerning his birth: he was one of five children of his mother and his father was a polygamist.
What was important was that his father, a successful sound equipment dealer, had set up a music studio which would become a watering hole for his sons, Jimmy Jatt and his elder siblings.
At a young age, he developed interest in the music industry by listening to a lot of blues, soul, jazz and indigenous genres, like juju, highlife, R&B, disco and hip pop. He was a collector of early rap albums from the 70s and 80s, and he subsequently developed an interest in hip-hop and rapping.
He was a sickly child with food fads. Quiet, reserved and conservative–personality traits he would exhibit in adulthood. The role of his elder siblings in inculcating the love of music and the Hip-Hop culture is of importance. Jimmy Jatt grew up in the 80s when the Hip-Hop movement had begun to spread like wild fire. Break dancing was his first love. Even before he was old enough to go to clubs, he played the role of entertainer accompanying his brothers to gigs where he danced before the real dance began.
Jimmy Jatt began his entertainment career as a rapper, and he was known by the stage name Master J. He made a lot of demos and after a fruitless search getting a record label to support him, he started work of a DJ, with the support of his brothers. Jimmy Jatt’s brothers’ helped him establish a studio called JATT studio and he eventually changed his stage name to DJ Jimmy Jatt, in honour of his brothers. The studio was located on strategic Odo street, which helped him reach an eager audience who took to his “deejaying” skills and hip- hop in general. He has been a radio DJ for Ray Power and still does radio shows on a low-key.
DJ Jimmy Jatt is revered for his role in setting the pace for hip hop music across his country; Nigeria, dating back from the early 90s when he jumped on the scene in Lagos up on till this moment. In 1989 and 1990, he was pronounced Africa’s number one DJ, till today, he is one of the most sought-after by corporate organizations like Coca Cola, Rothmans, St Moritz, Benson and Hedges, Nigeria Breweries, MTN, Globacom, Guinness, etc
Dj Jimmy Jatt rocked and bopped heads at a lot of nite clubs and gigs dropping the latest hit on vinyl. At a point in Nigeria the only accepted forum for hip hop artistes to have themselves groomed, whilst engaging in lyrical battle was the Road Block street Canival pioneered by Dj Jimmy Jatt. Setting up speakers, turntables, amplifiers and microphones, young lads swarmed his studio like bees unto nectar begging for a life-line. The likes of Junior and Pretty, Daddy Fresh, Daddy Showkey, DJ Abdullah, El Cream, Ruff, Rugged and Raw and Aladin (Formerly known as Chuck Da Bone), all grabbed the microphones, lighting up the stage, entertaining the crowd and basically having fun. No one had the slightest idea that Rap music was just on the brink of blowing up in Nigeria.
He was popular for ‘Road block’, a street carnival which involved lyrical battles between aspiring artists. As time went on and Jimmy Jatt visited various parts of the country and displayed his musical prowess, and he became synonymous to hip-hop in Nigeria.
He finally dropped his debut album, “The Definition” in 2007 it was more of a mix tape featuring over 50 of Nigeria’s best artists. The album which featured Tuface Idibia, Mode 9,Elajoe and several others was heavily successful earning him awards such as Channel O Africa music video award, ,Hip hop World Award, Sound City Music Video Award, Nigerian Music Video Award, Nigerian Music Award nominations to mention a few.
The DJ whose signature look includes a beret has been a DJ for 20 years and headlined at various musical shows in Nigeria and shared the stage with several international artists like Akon, 50cent, Sean Paul, LL Cool J, Usher and others.
Jimmy Jatt has made such an impact that several events have been held in honour of him like the Remy Martin VIP party held in October 2013 to celebrate him. Red Bull Nigeria appointed him to be the country’s ambassador at the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy holding in Tokyo in 2011.
Jimmy Jatt uses his musical skills for a good cause as he is the official DJ for the Play Safe national campus tour in Nigeria, poised at warring against unprotected sex. He also has a T.V programme called ‘Jimmy’s Jump Off’.
He has been married for about 20years and have two daughters.
- An Uzomedia Biography
Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kgaEAS
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