Nigerian singer, Ayoleyi Solomon, popularly called Reekado Banks, has once again reflected on his decision to leave Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records, admitting that the move was “premature.”
Reekado Banks explained in an interview with the Echo Room Podcast, shared on Instagram on Tuesday, that although there was no conflict surrounding his exit, he was young and eager to chart his own course.
“It wasn’t a conflict situation. I was pretty young and pretty fixated on what I wanted to do. I wanted to leave. Anyway, my contract ended two years prior. I signed a three-year contract and I allowed it to ride for another two years. So I was there for five years, not like reviewing the contract or anything. So when it was time, I thought I wanted to do this now,” Reekado Banks said.
He admitted that reality soon set in after his departure from the record label.
“You know, I thought I could do it now. And I just embarked on the journey. Like many people would view it premature. And as soon as I jumped into the sea as well, I realised how premature it was,” he confessed.
When asked about the best advice he had ever received from Don Jazzy, Reekado Banks recalled a lighthearted but memorable moment.
“It wasn’t even advice. He just said, ‘I’m not going to beat you.’ Nobody go beat me,” he recounted with laughter.
This is not the first time the singer has spoken about his Mavin Records exit. In July 2025, during an appearance on ‘The Esther Show’, he revealed that leaving the record label forced him to grow up quickly, teaching him accountability and self-reliance.
He added that staying longer under Don Jazzy’s guidance might have made him feel entitled and less responsible for his failures.
Reekado Banks officially announced his departure from Mavin Records in 2018, describing the split as amicable and filled with gratitude. At the time, he praised Don Jazzy for treating him like a son and providing the platform that shaped his career.
