Nigerian music executive Don Jazzy has responded directly to one of the most common criticisms levelled at Mavin. Records the claim that the label gives more attention to certain artists while neglecting others.
Speaking during a recent YouTube conversation with Crea8torium, the Mavin founder dismissed the long-running narrative, arguing that it makes little business sense for any label to intentionally sideline talent it has invested in.
“The idea that we’ll have people and not want to prioritise them is not a real thing,” he said. “When we sign artists, we want to make money from those artists and want those artists to make money for themselves.”
For Don Jazzy, the suggestion that a label would deliberately suppress its own act is not just unrealistic; it is financially illogical.
“It would seem like taking money and locking it away or throwing it because it doesn’t make sense,” he added.
The veteran producer also addressed questions around why some Mavin artists appear less active than others, especially in a music landscape where consistency often drives visibility.
According to him, in many cases, the pace of releases is not determined by the label but by the artists themselves.
“If you see an artist in Mavin and the artist only releases one or two songs in a year, just know that it is the artist that decided that.”
He explained that hesitation around releasing music is often tied to internal struggles rather than label politics, pointing specifically to confidence issues and self-doubt.
“Most of the time, they actually have imposter syndrome. It’s normal, we’re all human beings.”
The comments offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at how one of Africa’s biggest record labels manages artist development and also challenge a perception that has followed Mavin for years, especially as fans often compare the visibility of stars like Rema, Ayra Starr, Johnny Drille, and Magixx.
For Don Jazzy, the message was simple: artist success at Mavin is not about selective support; it is also about individual readiness, confidence, and timing.
“There is no such thing. If an artist in Mavins releases 1 or 2 songs in a year, it’s on them. Most of the time, it’s imposter syndrome.”
– Don Jazzy replies to comments on Mavins prioritizing some of their artists over others pic.twitter.com/x5BWaq4Lam
— Pulse Nigeria (@PulseNigeria247) May 11, 2026