Advertisers Don’t Have Data on Artistes Performances in Nigeria –O J B Jazreel O J B Jazreel, the music producer to 2-Face Idibia has
just released his third album under West Side Label.

The album is making waves in town. Jigga’s World got much attention. In this chat with Tijani Adegbola, the Best Music Producer of the Year courtesy N M A 2008 organizers reveals that advertising agencies in Nigeria have no data about credible aretistes that are aking waves in the entertainment sector which they use as ardsticks for billboards branding.Excerpts:
Placing New Effort
Recently, the Best Producer in Nigeria, O J B Jazreel
just dropped his new album. This has been making waves
in the clubs, streets, offices and event placing. The alum that is titled Jigga’s World has many hit tracks
but Pum Pum is well accepted above all the songs. But
on the other hand, some people criticize the new work
as album that might not really catch attention of the
entire publics considering X-Project, 9ice, P-Square
that are making waves at the moment. Hear Him “I think
Jigga’s World is meant to educate people that O J B is
also an artiste. I’m not competing with anybody.
Though, my brand as a music producer is very glaring
and well accepted by people. The new effort is to
prove my point.
Being Producer and Performing Artiste
O J B is well known as music producer. Coming out as a
performing artiste again is another strategy to extend
the existing brand. “It is a good brand positioning
for me. I mean using the two channels to get to the
top. I think I love producing a lot. Therefore, you
can not say that production would pay off at the
international level. I have done enough production
here but it does not pay here. There is no enough
appreciation in Nigeria for people behind the scene.
That is why I’m extending the brand,” he said.

Jigga’s World As a Brand
As we all know in the brands world that name of a
product, company and a personality means a lot.
Jigga’s World sound very uncommon. This is a name that
talks about O J B world and life generally. “ The name
obviously is everywhere. Everybody accepts it. They
love it of course; people do not have face to the
name. They have more of the name than the face. There
is no brand coherency. What we are doing is to build
brand equity with the name. The name is a brand
already. We are just building the brand to be more
visible for people to identify” he added.
Contents In Jigga World
Some songs have been banned. Obviously due to the
lyrics, Konga first album suffered a big set back. Dr
Stretch had the same challenge which nearly kills his
brand of music. Children can not listen to raw songs
that are why parents descend on them for protection.
According to O J B, his songs meant to educate people
and entertain. “It is a general song which anybody can
listen to. I would say the real focus of the album is
Pum Pum . The idea is actually Pum Pum the volume. I
mean say it loud. That Jigga is good at what he does.
That is the track I put more focus on. The track is my
Unique Selling Point. It does not contain virus like
most people usually”.
Marketing Strategy
There are many ways to sell a product. Any way, it
depends on the strategies. As far as O J B, he prefers
selling himself through music production and
performing artiste. “Check the way it is abroad. Kanye
West produces and works as a performing artiste. It
goes the same to R-Kelly. So, the main thing for me is
to sell the O J B factor. However, to let the world
know that this is the other side of O J B . He
produces and sings. That is the way It should go. The
marketing strategy is to bring more energy on the
brand name already. I know at the end of the day this
would affect the music”, he disclosed.
Jobs With 2-Face
There have been arguments that O J B only works on
2-Face’s jobs. He is proving too expensive for up
coming artistes. But in his speech, he revealed that
it is just public opinion. “Everybody says I do not do
any job except 2-Face works. It is not true. I did
Ruggedman work. Omotola album was done by me. I did
Jazzman Olofin work. I think everything is all about
time. You can not put the same metal in the fire at
the same time. It is one after the other. It is just
one step after the other. It is just like when you
invested in life, it is now time to reap what you have
invested”, N M A Best Music Producer of the Year said.

Competency In West Side Label
At the time most artistes are running and quitting
West Side label for incompetence, O J B is moving in
that direction to repackage his musical career. Faze
left the record label with annoyance that men at the
helm of affairs there do not have the experience to
lead him to the promise land. Dejini, Da Native and
others as well left the label due to the same reason.
But O J B acknowledges that the label has been very
helpful to his career. “I believe they are trying
their best. I would not lie to you it is not easy to
package an artiste. Imagine, the album came out in
March, some days after the album was everywhere. I
would be an ingrate if I do not praise them when it
matters”, he described.
The Deal With West Side
Deals with artistes and record labels have become
problems in the past. Some artistes without having
rudiment education about the terms they put pen to
papers with their record label. Instances are Rymso
with Alec Records, Soul E with Collosal Records, Tony
Tetuila with Kennis Music and lots of them like that
have learn from their mistakes. Doesn’t mean that they
don’t study the document well? Or they are
illiterates? These are million naira questions we ask
O J B. He therefore reacted that the deal encompasses
marketing, management and recording deal. “But it is
more of a partnership thing. We have to work together.
It is not easy to see a label that will do everything
for you in Nigeria. Labels in Nigeria do the best they
can do and you move on from there. That is what we are
doing”.
O J B In Brand Ambassador Link
Since brands started endorse personalities in Nigeria,
no one has looked in direction of O J B. Perhaps his
media relations officer is not really effective so
that brand managers can easily remember his quickly?
Hear his reaction: “Obviously, structures are in place
to achieve brand endorsements. But we still have lots
of work to do. You would notice people that get
branded are either people that have gone extra miles
to make sure they get known. Or people who are
connected get branded as well. To also consider people
in the advertising agency, how many of them know the
personalities that should be branded. They are few.
That means they have not done their research well in
term of personalities that need to be branded. A lot
of them do not have back up data. It is a pity anyway.
They cannot tell you these are the artistes that make
things happen. You must know   that your name is
branded. I mean, branded for certain things but not
for everything. I mean a foundation man. Parts of what
you call new generation of music today. O J B is part
of the people that put it together. If you want to
relate yourself with marketing, you need to put a face
to it. You can not call 70% people in the Nigerian
showbiz and ask about O J B. They would not tell you
they do not know. It is matter of time. I think it is
left for the marketing people to be more creative and
objective. You do not have to wait till Lori le by
X-Project or Gongo Aso by 9ice is not before you know
it is branded. They have been branded since. They just
need that face. So, people are waiting for me to bring
Grammy home before I am branded? I will be very
expensive then. Branding is part of the game.
Ruggedman is branded as well”.