DJ Jimmy Jatt

DJ Jimmy Jatt is Nigeria’s most prominent DJ. Born Jimmy Adewale Amu, he grew up in Lagos and as a child imbibed several genres. Yet when he decided to get into music he turned to hiphop, calling himself Master J. That path didn’t work out and so young Jimmy turned to DJing with the assistance of his older brothers. It was then the name by which he would be known was born. Jatt was a derivation of the name of his siblings: Jimmy, Amu, Tunde, and Tayo.

The studio in which he ran his practice, JATT Studios, was located on Odo street, Obalende, which was ideal because it formed a connection between the Mainland and Island areas of Lagos. His mixes became the rave in 1990s Nigeria, just as hip-hop began to take hold in the country. Such was the popularity of Jimmy’s mixes that people demanded for these mixes from different parts of the country. He is credited as one of the figures to pioneer street carnivals involving rap battles.

He has played for a vast number of corporate organisations including Tequila, Marathon events, Vigeo, STB McCann, Coca Cola, Rothmans, St Moritz, Benson and Hedges, Nigeria Breweries, MTN, Globacom and Guiness.
In 2007, he became the first Nigerian DJ to release an album. ‘The Defintion’ produced the hit song ‘Stylee’ featuring singer 2face and rappers Mode 9 and Elajoe. The album featured all of the important figures in Nigerian rap at the time as well as introduced some that became famous later.

His sophomore, The Industry Volume I, came out in 2014.