Communal Living Birthed Afrobeats Greatest Hits – Don Jazzy

Popular music producer Don Jazzy says that Afrobeats became successful because artists and producers used to live together in the same house.

Speaking during a recent session on the Crea8torium podcast. Don Jazzy argued that living together in residences with in-house studios fostered spontaneous creativity and faster collaboration.

The veteran producer maintained that the synergy forged during the Mo’Hits era produced hit tracks that defined the genre. He cited D’Banj’s ‘Olorun Maje’ and Dr Sid’s ‘You Bad’ as products of casual interactions within a shared living and working space.

Recalling the creation of ‘Olorun Maje,’ Don Jazzy explained that the lyrics were spontaneously composed by D’Prince following a domestic disagreement involving the group’s manager, Sunday Are.

“The lyrics just fell precisely to the beat I was making at that time. I told him to pause, that I like it. That was how the song was born,” he said.

The music mogul, however, noted that the current creative process in the industry has become more fragmented, as fewer artists now operate under the same roof. While acknowledging the industry’s evolution, he urged younger musicians to prioritise closer collaboration to enhance their artistic output.