by Wilfred Okiche

 

Cool DJ Jimmy Jatt is the gold standard for disc jockeying in this part of the world. Speaking with a quiet authority, he recognises his importance to his industry but remains modest about the recognition that is accorded him. This year, in between playing at every major gig across the continent, he found time to release a new album and publish a biography (written by Toni Kan and Peju Akande).

He spoke with us on the perils of being the “Legend”, his love for technology and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

Enjoy excerpts from the interview

There is this vibe around you, I have only seen it with 2face Idibia. Everyone genuinely likes you and people want to pay their respects. You have said it is just the way you are but do you think this has helped your career advance?

I guess it is how people see you and relate with you. It is just me being me and I don’t take note of it most of the time but if a thousand people are all saying the same thing then you may not necessarily want to take it all in but you may begin to believe some of it.

For you, the title “Legend” is thrown around a lot. Are you comfortable with it?

Honestly sometimes I get really uncomfortable when I hear that but for me I always look at it this way; once it is not self-acclaimed and if its people genuinely believing you to be a certain way then it may be okay. I have never referred to myself as a legend, not from my camp, I don’t use such. It got so bad that I even added Cool to my name just to make it difficult for people to add anything else. Before I did that people used to call me Legendary DJ, King DJ etcetera and I wasn’t comfortable with them. It’s not that I don’t like it but I felt it was getting intense. Having said that, I think it’s the people saying it and sometimes you don’t want to be an ingrate and not appreciate the love you are getting so yes, maybe in terms of disc jockeying, I have been around for a while, made quite the impact, opened doors for quite a number of people, what other criteria do I need to check to actually be referred to as one?

Do you feel a certain pressure to live up to the title, I mean Legend is pretty huge?

I don’t try to live up to the title, I try to be a better person every time, there is so much expectation and with great power they say, comes great responsibility so I try to live up to the expectations demanded of me; to put up a great show every time, to groom the ones coming after me, all that makes me a better person. So I am not out there all the time, acting like I am all that, no. I am going out acting like a rookie, knowing that I have to be better than the last one, which is a good thing as I don’t get complacent. I am always looking for the next challenge and that is the human in me.

So the hunger is still there?

I work like an upcoming artiste. For even the least paying gigs that I do, people around me wonder why I am putting so much effort in terms of planning and effort. I love what I do so the passion drives me to do more and I enjoy every step of the process.

How involved are you in the careers of the younger disc jockeys itching to be the next you?

To be honest with you, my kind of person does not like to mention names but the truth is out of any line up of deejays in the country today, I have influenced 8 out of 10 directly in some way or the other. And even the 2 others I have influenced indirectly. In fairness to myself, I will not deny the fact that I have done, am doing and will continue to do my best to develop younger talent.

I spoke with a comedian a while back and he told me that if I approach Ali Baba with an offer for a show and he finds the price below par, he would politely refuse and point me in the direction of a lesser priced gifted comedian. Is that the case with you and your younger colleagues?

I always have a team of DJs at any time that I am grooming or mentoring. Sometimes it is not even money, it may even be a case of you calling me for a gig that I may not be available for and once you approach me with a description of the type of gig, I instinctively know what DJ to call. We do all that but I am not one to mention names. Sometimes I buy equipment for DJs with my money and I then go out and get them gigs so that they can pay me, stuff like that. And this is just the professional angle. Lots of personal stuff that I have done too.

I am curious about your work process, how does it all come together for you?

I am always prepared, let me tell you what I do on the regular. Music comes out like every minute these days so for me I am always after what is new, how to get it, what particular playlist it will fit into, what event would it be most appropriate for? Do I want to repeat this song at this same venue? The last gig I played at was the Kwam 1 concert. It was titled K-1 Unusual and I went there to be an unusual DJ. All the songs I played that night, I don’t think any DJ has touched any of them in like forever.

What do you think stands you out?

I am a gadget freak and I collect amazing apps. Even the younger DJs come to me to ask me how some new technologies work. I can tell you what is going to come out in 2015 in terms of DJ equipment and most times when they come out, I have to pre order and they are delivered to me even before the official release so by the time people are getting them, I am there to guide them through it. So I am always technologically ahead. But again, you cannot blame them because I am in a position where I can afford these things. I am a music encyclopaedia, you cannot place me in any era; not old school, not new school. Sometimes my daughter argues that I shouldn’t sing a song with her because it belongs to her generation. But I have been with music right from my parents and there is no genre or era of music that I cannot create a playlist for. I am like a bridge that unites all eras and that is because I have never taken a year off disc jockeying.

I think this is reflected on your album, The Industry volume 1 where there are all kinds of artistes from Femi Kuti to Banky W, Mode 9 to Eedris Abdulkareem.

You see, it is all about relationships. There is nobody on that album that I do not have a one on one with. I make friends with people in advance. There are some people that in my mind I feel like I have been your guy for long because I have been following your career so the day we meet, we just take it up from wherever in my mind, we have been. I don’t know if there is anybody in the entertainment industry today that I cannot pick my phone and at least say hello to. These are guys whom we sit down, gist, club together and stuff. So it is the time that we would have spent in the club that I hustle them into the studio to do some work. There was a particular track we recorded around 3am, straight from the club because I knew I might not find chill time again with the artiste in a while.

Do you think there will ever be an opportunity for you to transfer all, or some of your considerable knowledge to a willing audience, maybe in a more formal structure?

I am hoping to do a DJ academy style thing where I can let aspiring DJs in on every trick I know. I would like to teach them that it only starts with the skills, but doesn’t end there. They need to understand music, technology, branding, every titbit of the business. I have rarely seen a DJ with the total package here in Nigeria. I am always looking for the best across board, someone who can score at least 75% across the board. A lot that I want to do but these things take time and funding and organisation and I am hardly on ground. But I am trying to structure myself in such a way that I can be available to do it for a considerable period of time.