Music executive Don Jazzy has shared the story of how he discovered and signed Afrobeats sensation Ayra Starr to his record label, Mavin Records.
Speaking in an interview with Echo, Don Jazzy, who heads one of Africa’s biggest record labels, said there was a gap in the industry at the time for a teenage Afrobeats superstar, and he was actively searching for new talent to fill it.
He explained that he asked one of the people he followed to scout for promising singers in their universities. Among the names and handles that were sent to him was Ayra Starr’s Instagram profile.
According to Don Jazzy, what caught his attention was a freestyle Ayra Starr had posted about drug abuse — a theme he noted was particularly relevant to the challenges facing Gen Z. That performance, he said, convinced him that she was the one he had been looking for.
The producer added that he initially reached out to Ayra Starr directly but when she did not respond to his message, he contacted
her brother.