D'Banj, Don Jazzy split

Don Jazzy has moved out of the mansion that the pair shared in Lekki

Mo’Hits pair D’Banj and Don Jazzy are on the brink of splitting up due to creative and personal differences. A source close to both parties has revealed that the relationship between the two is now so fractured that Don Jazzy has since moved out of the mansion they once shared in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.Don Jazzy, according to the source, has become so frustrated with D’banj’s lifestyle, tantrums and unmanageable ego that he refuses to work with him. D’Banj, for his part, feels Don Jazzy is spending more time honing the careers of the Mo Hits fledglings such as D’Prince and Dr. Sid. He has also accused Don Jazzy of delaying his album release by giving “excuse after excuse.”“D’Banj has an album due this year,” the source said. “He wants Don Jazzy to spend all his time working on his own album. Can you believe that Don Jazzy spent only two days working on Wande’s new singles?”The source added that D’banj has also made several disparaging remarks about some of the Mo’Hits crew who he calls “backup singers.” He has also made several less than complimentary comments about Don Jazzy who he accused of going around in “pyjamas and t-shirts.”

Bad blood, GOOD Music

Although tensions have simmered between the once inseperable maestros for about two years, things went quickly downhill last year following the deal signed with G.O.O.D music, Kanye West’s record label. An investigation revealed that the terms of the agreement are far more in favour of the producer, Don Jazzy, a realization which has irked the artist. The source confirmed the disparity in the deal’s structure and revealed that D’Banj’s involvement is peripheral which has led to major problems between the two. The deal also involves a financial commitment of up to $3M, which Mo’Hits has not yet fully made up.“When we all celebrated the deal last year, little did we know that it was really Don Jazzy that was being signed up,” the source said. “While Don Jazzy has already produced a track for G.O.O.D Music, D’Banj is just waiting around idly.”Cracks in the duo’s relationship became apparent last year when both of them arrived and sat separately to several awards ceremonies. In the past, the two had always shown a very unified stance in public.

Politically poles apart

D’Banj, real name Dapo Oyebanjo, has come under fire from fans in recent months following his perceived nonchalance to the fuel subsidy and Occupy Nigeria protests. In a recent interview, the artist dismissed the criticism, saying that he was busy shooting a new video at the time the protests broke out.Don Jazzy, on the other hand, quickly identified with the masses by stating his displeasure with the Goodluck Jonathan administration on his Twitter page.The news of the impending separation will come as a major shock to millions of devoted fans who have come to identify the one with the other. Any hopes of reaching reconciliation have been dashed according to the source who said that the pair can no longer work together.“Things are so bad now that there are many shows that D’Banj does where he does not remit any money to Mo’Hits,” the source said. “He accuses Don Jazzy of being too laid back and not attending meetings and negotiations but still feels entitled to collect fifty percent.”The source added that Sunday Are, who used to represent the duo, now only works exclusively for Don Jazzy after D’Banj turned his back on him.“The only people he is really close with now are Ikechukwu and Bankuli,” the source said.It remains to be seen what the long term implications are for the Mo’Hits record label but D’Banj has wasted no time in launching his own record label which he plans to release his album on.

D’Banj, Don Jazzy, Sunday Are and Bankuli were all unavailable for comment at press time.