By ‘Dayo Farore, Osagie Alonge
Few hours into the Wizkid’s ‘Superstar’ album launch, Cool DJ Jimmy JATT was already live at Get Arena, Victoria Island doing his thing. Present were A-list stars that would make you wonder if they ever got to attend Wizzy’s launch. The event was powered by household names which included LASAA, e-box, City People, Live Beats, Prime Time Africa, Naija FM, Soundcity, MarketPlace Ltd, Cool 96.9FM, AY Show, AV Edge, Hip TV, the Beat 99.9FM, 94.1 Rainbow FM and Encomium.
Dressed in a bright red top, white pant trousers, a Kangol cap, a blinging cross hanging down his neck, wrist watch that sparkled and Burberry shades which brought him out in amazing colours, Jimmy looked like his normal self.
Sunday, June 12, 2011 recorded another great day in the industry’s journal and Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) was there to bring you minute-by-minute coverage of what went down.
The Red Carpet featured more popular faces sourcing interviews as if it was a Nollywood movie premiere. The lightning almost turned night to day, and the Oriental Hotel across the road felt the illumination.
10.32PM began the journey into the amazing world of Cool DJ Jimmy JATT with so many artistes and other Disc Jockeys coming around to show him love. DJ Humility was there, so was DJ Funky J rocking the wheels of steel alongside DJ Sose, DJ Vinnie and DJ Cassie.
The event got more intense at 12.50PM, perhaps from the rush off Wizzy’s superstar album at the Expo Hall of the Eko Hotel & Suites also on Victoria Island. Nigezie’s Andre blaze came on stage at 1.12AM to announce a freestyle session featuring seven rappers randomly chosen from a group of attendees and in the end, a 13-year-old kid, Mayowa Adewunmi with the stage name, Lil’ Mo emerged as the winner.
1.33AM: Lord of Ajasa surfaced, after Basketmouth’s arrival at 1.18AM.
1.26AM marked the disk battle as Deejays Humility, Vinnie and Jimmy JATT stormed the stage unleashing classics from the old school to the new, not so new and yes of course, newest schools, contemporary joints from different genres of music including Makossa. The fun grew crazier as DJ Neptune joined in the fun at 1.42AM.
And at 1.49AM, 9ice went on stage to show the Deejays some love on arrival. It was a stampede of the fresh, the fly and the old in the industry as everyone from TV presenters, on-air-personalities, industry players, bloggers, label execs and more were there.
The VIP section was also jam-packed with the most well-to-do lots. Zara was getting cosy with Overdose while Terry Tha Rapman watched, Toni Payne and Ruggedman met at the stairs leading to the VIP and gave themselves a hug, Ibiyemi stood alone radiating with beauty, Toolz kept staring at Praiz and Iyanya, Audu Maikori was looking sharp in his white Polo top, Princess the comedienne was dancing her away around, the Choc Boys sat in one spot and people hovered around them. Ebuka and Noble Igwe couldn’t detach from themselves, Joke Jaiyesimi looked radiant… (And we won’t tell you that we caught Rhecks and Gbemi almost flirting with M.I!).
‘Eni Duro’, came banging with the swagger-coated Coded Tunes rapper Olamide followed by a Dr. SID performance. Alapomeji Records’ Seriki performed his ‘Undisputed’ single which got the crowd cheering.
Now at this time, the backstage was crowded with artistes who all wanted to step on stage and show the crowd their stuff. With a disorganized playlist and no form of proper organization, every act was left to scramble and fight for a spot on the stage. Drops of rain started falling from the sky but wasn’t enough to stop the show as Jimmy still played on even though the DJ Vinnie and DJ Humility hurriedly packed their equipment and disappeared.
At 2.47AM just as Kas finished rocking with his club dynamite, ‘Fimile’, veteran rapper Modenine jumped on stage with Sound Sultan who was filling the gap for an absent 2Face Idibia and Elajoe to perform Jimmy JATT’s smash single ‘Stylee’. As soon as they were through, Sound Sultan’s ‘Very good bad guy’ came on and as he was just about to open his mouth, M.I’s ‘Undisputed’ video came on the screen and the rapper who had been patiently waiting with his Choc City cohorts jumped on stage and started performing. An embarrassed Sultan smiled, dropped the mic and left the stage. The Choc boys – M.I, Ice Prince and BrymO went on to perform four songs exceeding the norm which was one song each but the crowd didn’t mind, they were practically carried away with the fabulous performance by the J-Town boys.
The most electrifying moment of the night had to be when Jahbless, Ice Prince, Ruggedman, Reminisce and eLDee da Don performed ‘Joor oh’ remix. The crowd went bonkers! eLDee stayed back to perform ‘Big Boy’ followed by LKT. Side-One came on hot and so were other performers like Mr. Raw, D’Jinee, Orezi, I.G.H.O, Konga, Kash 11, Skuki. They were a lot of others that couldn’t grace the stage – Terry Tha Rapman, Overdose, Vector, Dipp, Weird MC, a very long list…
The security outside the venue was if anything to go by, dangerous as one could imagine. Those who weren’t robbed of their phones, gadgets, wallets and other valuables were comforting those who weren’t so lucky. Our reporter was robbed and beaten as he left the venue in the early hours. The security didn’t seem to budge or bother…
And bringing what a few of the artistes has got to say about Cool DJ Jimmy JATT:
‘Uncle Jimmy’s idea is legendary’, Steel.
‘DJ Jimmy Jatt is the bomb’, Dr. SID
‘I am happy to be the first featured on the first Jimmy Jump Off and tonight is a great night for me to be here. Uncle Jimmy helped us all so much and whenever you want to go off-track, he corrects you like a brother. I am happy that he is exclusively Hip Hop’, Terry Tha Rapman
‘Yet again, he exceeds our expectations’, Kenny St. Brown
‘Uncle Jimmy Jatt loved Dagrin like a brother, supported his dream without doubts. He has impacted our lives positively and doing this again for the Nigerian streets, he is a rare piece’, YQ.
Some of the Faces We Saw…
Tee A, Steel, Dayo Adeneye, Tilaman, Mo’ Cheddah, Side One, Artquake, Ali Baba, Basketmouth, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Stella Damascus, Weird MC, Adol, 2Shotz, Toni Payne, ID Cabasa, Julius D Genius Agwu, Zara, Essien, Tunde Ednut, Nse, YQ, S-Dot and KSB.
Pictures by Kelechi Silas
2 comments
even without attending the album launch, i am feeling fly with all this faces.. cool bro…
I wish i was there