DJ JIMMY JATT: CELEBRATING NIGERIA'S GREATEST DISC JOCKEY.

I have not met Jimmy Jatt physically, but he's always been in my imagination since the early 90's. I don't know if Literary Days are still held in Nigeria's Secondary Schools, but back in the 90's, this special day was foremost on the events calendar of our Grammar, Comprehensive, High Schools and Federal Government Colleges. Though the day was called Literary and Debating Day, it was mostly characterised by dancing, choreography and miming of popular artists and their music. The DJ was the most important person of the day and not the guests on the high table who were usually teachers in the schools hosting the event. The organisers in my school, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School [ J.O.G.S ], were fond of paying Jimmy Jatt to perform at the event. Jimmy would then send one of his boys to deejay for him because of other engagements he had. I never saw this amazing DJ with my eyes, but I witnessed what he could do on the Wheels of Steel through his proxies.

Jimmy Amu was born and raised up in Lagos Island, an old section of Lagos State, Nigeria's former capital. He grew up with music all around him and he developed a deep interest in this genre of the arts. He started listening to a lot of Rap and Hip-Hop albums from the late 70's. It was not long before he started to collect albums of American acts like LL Cool Jay, Kurtis Blow, African Bambaata, NWA, etc. Jimmy Amu's [ JATT is an acronym from the initials of his brothers who encouraged him and gave him a hand up in his early days as a Disc Jockey ] rise as a phenomenal party DJ started when he opened shop on Odo Street in Surulere. Odo Street was located strategically in the sense that it was close to Ojuelebga, a very busy and commercial part of Surulere. This made Jimmy's Studio very accessible to budding Hip-Hop artists in the country. He started organising talent shows in his studios and ended up discovering many talented rappers in the process. He networked with Radio Stations and helped his discoveries get their unreleased songs on air.

There are a few Hip-Hop artists in Nigeria today that do not owe their breakthrough to Jimmy Jatt. He has been in the jockeying game for so long that he's become the Don King of Nigerian Entertainment. Long before we started having modern music labels like Kennis Music, Storm Records, Dove Records and the rest of them, Jimmy Jatt had been producing and promoting budding artists in his unique way. This is what has made him popular. Hip-Hop hopefuls identify with him and help spread the word about his skills. He also helped to nurture the careers of spin doctors like DJ Waxy, DJ Funky J and Mix Master Tee among others. Jimmy's Road Block Street Carnival brought famous artists like Ruff, Rugged and Raw, Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh, Junior and Pretty and Aladin [ He was known as Chuck Da Bone before his name change ] to our attention. Jatt has also performed at many concerts in Nigeria and internationally. He has made a Disc Jockeying a noble profession in Nigeria. Jimmy can be referred to as a legend.

If you've listened to the song 'Stylee', a collaboration between Jimmy Jatt, Tuface Idibia, Mode 9 and Elajoe, you'll understand what I've been saying all along about this amazing DJ. The song is out of this world and brought together Nigeria's Hip-Hop dons on a track. 'Stylee' the lead single of his career defining mix-tape 'Definition' was named as the 'Best Collabo' at the 2008 Hip-Hop World Awards and the song's video also won Best Music Video at the same event. Jimmy has two daughters and a beautiful wife. He survived a serious car crash on the morning of Saturday March 15, 2008. His GMC SUV ( Which was purchased from the US in 2005 ) was a total write off after the accident. We thank God that Jimmy Jatt is still with us today. He's currently working on a project called 'Battle Field'in an attempt to discover new DJ's. The project has rolled out and winners will be awarded sums of money and other incentives. His TV programme 'Jimmy's Jump Off' is presently being aired on local and international stations. Jimmy Amu is a man of many firsts and RV is proud of this great Nigerian. Keep the flag flying, mate.

Where To Find Jimmy Jatt Online: www.djjimmyjatt.net, twitter.com/jimmyjatt

Contact us: tolukandi@yahoo.com

SADE ADU TO JAM WITH ALICIA KEYS AND JAY-Z @CHARITY CONCERT ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2010.

British-Nigerian singer, Sadu Adu, will once again keep us entranced with her amazing voice when she graces the stage alongside Jay-Z and Alicia Keys during a charity event on September 30. The seventh annual Black Ball will be held at the New York Hammerstein Ballroom and it is being organized by Keys' Keep A Child Alive Organization . Alicia Keys, who is expecting her first child with Producer-Rapper, Swizz Beatz is delighted that Sade and Jay-Z have agreed to be part of the event. According to Keys-

'Sade and Jay-Z are both icons and both major influences of mine. I'm overwhelmed by their generosity in helping us continue the tradition of making the Black Ball the best fundraiser in NYC.'

The UK version of the Black Ball was held in London this past May with Kasabian and Bryan Ferry performing as guest artists. The Keep A Child Alive Organization assists families struggling with HIV/AIDS throughout India and Africa and has generated more than $10 million since 2004. The KCA has assisted more than 250,000 people since it was co-founded by Keys in 2003. The organization also gives financial grants to Clinical centres and Orphan Care in countries like Uganda and Rwanda. Last year's Black Ball in New York which was also held at the Hammerstein Ballroom raised more than $2 million with a range of celebrities like Nick Cannon, Mary J.Blige, David Bowie, Halle Berry et al supporting the cause.

Sources: mtv.com, RV.

CAN WYCLEF JEAN BRING REAL DEVELOPMENT TO HAITI?

We've just come across vital information that Nel Ust Wyclef Jean, popularly known as Wyclef Jean, is considering running for the Presidency of Haiti. Haiti's presidential election will hold in November as the much maligned outgoing government of President Rene Preval cannot seek re-election. In a statement sent to the mainstream media yesterday, the family of the ex-Fugees star confirmed for the first time that he was toying with the idea of running for Haiti's top job. According to Wyclef's family-

' Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward. At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If and when a decision is made, the media will be alerted immediately.' the statement read.

Our credible sources say that paperwork for Wyclef's candidacy at the November elections has already been completed and submitted. With the statement released by the Jean family, rumours of Clef contesting for the Haitian Presidency has been confirmed. The rumours had increased after the January 12 earthquake that took the lives of 300,000 Haitians and rendered 1.5 million people in the country homeless. Wyclef, who was born in Haiti but raised in New York, USA, is very popular in his country of birth where half of the citizens are under 21 years of age. His Yele Haiti Foundation which was set up in 2005 provides scholarships and relief materials to victims of natural disasters. Clef has also served as a roving ambassador with the current Haitian administration.

Though he has good intentions and a desire to bring real development to the devastated land mass of Haiti with his Presidential ambition, there are some hurdles that Wyclef has to surmount. He has to prove that he has lived in Haiti for five consecutive years and that he has property in the country. Wyclef is required to hold Haitian citizenship only. This is where the problem arises. Clef has an American Passport by naturalization. His political opponents in Haiti might use his American citizenship against him. Political analysts are also wondering if the Hip-Hop artist and philanthropist can survive in the dangerous waters of Haitian politics. There are people who also believe that running a country is different from recording songs and performing at concerts. What cannot be waved aside is Wyclef's cult status in Haiti. Wyclef is a former member of The Fugees, a hip-hop unit whose second album, 'The Score' , sold more than 18 million copies and won a Grammy in 1996.

Sources: uk.news.yahoo.com, guardian.co.uk, Wikipedia, RV.

A MESSAGE FROM TOLU IHIDERO.

Hi, thanks for taking the time to view this blog. You're one of those that have ensured that traffic to this site has increased. I want to let you and other fans of this blog know that I put in a lot of effort in updating the site. Getting and processing information online takes a lot of time. Getting a post researched and uploaded can take up to two hours. However, I promise you an exciting experience anytime you visit this blog. As you can see, a lot of features are being added to my page consistently. I will place a chat room on the blog very soon. I'm also going to register on Twitter so that I can give you tips, news, events etc as they happen.

I want REDMAN'S VIBEWORLD to be interactive. Therefore, I'll be glad if you can comment on the stories, articles and videos that we post. Your comments will give us the motivation to work harder and sustain the growth of this Media Product. We also want to know what you think about RV and the kind of things you want us to write about. You'll need a GMAIL address to comment on this blog. We'll also be happy if you tell your friends, family and loved ones about RV. Thanks once more for dropping by. Cheers.

Contact: tolukandi@yahoo.com

BOLLYWOOD SNAPS UP K'NAAN [ WAVIN' FLAG ].

K'naan, the Somalian-Canadian Hip-Hop artiste cum singer, has the world at his feet at the moment. Apart from holding us captive with his well produced song 'Wavin Flag' and appearing on many television shows recently, Keinan Abdi Warsame has won the hearts of Producers in India's biggest entertainment industry, Bollywood. Music composers, Vishal and Shekhar have signed the rapper and songwriter and have already started working with him on some projects. Vishal had travelled to London to discuss another project with a colleague when he discovered that he was sitting on the same table with K'naan's team. K'naan's Manager, Sol Guy, came up with the idea of a K'naan-vishal/shekhar collaboration and the respected Indian Producer agreed on the spot.

Apart from the famous Indian composers mentioned above, K'naan also met with Bollywood actor, Imran Khan. Khan was in the Republic of South Africa for the World Cup finals and was staying in the same hotel with K'naan who emigrated to Canada at age 13. The singer had performed some of his songs including 'Wavin Flag' for a select audience just before the Germany-Uruguay third place match was played. Imran watched K'naan perform and he has this to say- 'I did not know who he was. I had only heard that 'Wavin Flag' was his track. I was mesmerised. As he is a Somalian, his music has that African beat to it'. Imran Khan who believes K'naan's coming to Bollywood is great endorses Coca Cola, the same soft drink which used the Somalian-Canadian's song for its World Cup campaign. K'naan is currently performing at different music festivals in Canada. Some of his songs receiving heavy patronage on YOUTUBE include 'Fatima', 'Take a Minute' and 'I Come Prepared'.

Where To find K'naan online: www.knaanmusic.ning.com, www.myspace.com/knaanmusic

Sources: movies.indiainfo.com, planetradiocity.com

Nneka - Heartbeat ft. Nas [Remix] [ RV VIDEO FEATURE ].

I came back from West London to my crib about an hour ago. As I was browsing in order to update this blog with current events in the Music Kingdom, I stumbled upon a link. It was about Nneka Egbuna's remix of her famous song, 'Heartbeat' with Nas. After listening to this joint, I went to Youtube and found this video. Though it is a slide show, it is lovely watching it. Here is the link I found on the web-

http://darkfishent.com/Home/nneka-heartbeat-remix-ft-nas

You can copy and paste the link above to listen to the song. Nneka Egbuna is holding the world spellbound at the moment. Enjoy this video. Cheers.

NNEKA EGBUNA NOMINATED FOR NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS.

Hip-Soul artist, Nneka Egbuna, has been nominated in two categories for the this year's Nigerian Entertainment Awards. She was selected as a nominee in the 'Indigenous Artist of The Year' and 'Best Soul/Neo Soul Act of the Year' Categories. The Awards ceremony will take place on the 18th of September 2010 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Art Centre, New York, USA. Kick off time is 5:30pm EST. Nneka is a Nigerian-German musician who has been creating a lot of stir in music circles since she debuted in 2005. Her first album, 'Victim of Truth' ( Released in the UK in 2007 ) was praised as a great effort by the British Media. She has opened for Lauryn Hill and Lenny Kravitz at concerts and she's currently on tour in the United States. Her Distant Relatives tour with Damian Marley and Nas will continue at Newport,Rhode Island, on the 31st of July 2010.

The Nigerian Entertainment Awards is an annual event that recognises the contributions of Nigerians to the Entertainment industry across the world. The anchor for this year's event is Omawunmi. If you are a fan of Nneka Egbuna, you can vote for her through the link below:

http://nigeriaentawards.com/

Source: nnekaworld.com, RV.