Oluwaforijimi “Jimmy” Adewale Amu (born October 15, 1966), professionally referred to by his stage name DJ Jimmy Jatt, is a Nigerian disc jockey who is revered as one of the pioneering hip-hop DJs in Nigeria.
He has always been working his fingers to the bone to maintain his prime position as the number one on the chart of ranking.
The DJ has revealed his thought on Nigerian artiste and the nations awards, he has urge artiste to look forward on how to make the local awards a mega one in the world that run up for American awards.
He said this is because many Nigerians are still soaked in the colonial mentality and this has not allowed them think of having and liking theirs instead they want to be under other people.
This is his opinion;
“For me, I’m always quick to ask why everybody is aiming for the Grammy. Because, first of all, it might be a global award, but it’s essentially an American award. So, I feel like it’s not wrong to aim at getting it, but primarily, understand that it’s an American award, and your music, or you as an artiste, must cut across within that American space. You understand what I’m saying? So, even if you’re in the world category, it would be that you’ve cut across the American music space. So, really it’s not. I don’t think, because it’s old, and Americans have given it that respect, and placed it where it is; that’s why everybody from elsewhere is aiming for the Grammy. I always feel like if we support our own award organizers in Nigeria and develop it to a level that is respected, and you know, people aspire to win a topmost Nigerian music award, then we’ll have something that we can say this is our own brand. But the unfortunate thing about Nigerians, or really, us as Africans is that colonial mentality has not left us. So, as far as something is from the Western world, it is seen as validation of what you’re doing. So, the one for us and by us is never appreciated. And people will continue to look down on anything that we do here as against supporting it and letting it grow to that extent,” He said.
In 2006, he won the Hip Hop World Hall of Fame award at the maiden edition of The Headies for his contribution to hip-hop in Nigeria.
