London, 14th August 2023 MAVIN, the biggest and most influential independent label in Afrobeats, celebrates its 11th year of developing some of the genre’s best talent by unveiling new artist LIFESIZE TEDDY and sharing the staggering global success of its superstar roster that includes REMA and AYRA STARR – two of Afrobeats’ biggest exports.
The UK continues to be a key territory for MAVIN and this week saw the label unveil its exciting new artist LIFESIZE TEDDY. A rapper and afrofusion artist, LIFESIZE TEDDY is primed to occupy a hip hop subgenre that has yet to enjoy success for female artists, despite the global popularity of Afrobeats. On her debut EP LST, which came out 11th August, LIFESIZE TEDDY serves an experimental and unpredictable blend of five songs which showcase her impressive range, creativity and sonic talent.
MAVIN has had a meteoric growth from inception in 2012, to now lead the Afrobeats scene as an internationally acclaimed and respected global brand, reaching over 180 countries with a global streaming figure of over 6 billion streams across an internationally successful stable of artists.
Founded by creative visionary, producer, music exec, entrepreneur and philanthropist Don Jazzy, MAVIN is based at the heart of the culture in Lagos, Nigeria. The company delivers 360 label services, artist management, publishing, sync, cross-platform digital content and production. With a growing stable of artists, producers and songwriters, plus strategic partnerships with high-profile brands such as Nike, Pepsi, META, Deezer, Hennessy and Maybelline, and collaborations in film, fashion, sport, design and live events.
The label’s biggest export REMA has achieved over 3 billion streams in just under 3 years since his debut, with 34.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the highest of any Afrobeats artist. He has broken records with his 2022 track ‘Calm Down’ and its remix with Selena Gomez, which peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for Highest Charting Afrobeats artist In Billboard Hot 100 history. The song is on its way to becoming the first Afrobeats record to hit a billion Spotify streams in under a year. MAVIN achieved a major sync for track ‘Wake Up’ with REMA and Bloody Civilian, which was featured on the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ movie in 2022. REMA is now touring the world with smash hit album ‘Rave and Roses Ultra’, and will be taking in his biggest live audience yet at London’s O2 Arena on 14th November.
Another MAVIN superstar, AYRA STARR launched in 2021 and is already lauded as the leader of Africa’s ‘New Wave’ in a male-dominated Afrobeats scene. She is already MAVIN’s 2nd most successful artist with over 1.5 billion career streams and 11.3 million monthly Spotify listeners. AYRA released her eponymous debut EP in 2021, followed by 2022’s debut album ’19 and Dangerous’, with hit single ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and its remix featuring Kelly Rowland. In 2023, she released the album deluxe which contained the global smash hit ‘Rush’ which saw AYRA become the Youngest African Female Artist to surpass 100 million views on a single video on YouTube and the only Nigerian Female Artist to have charted a solo song on the UK Official Singles Chart. AYRA STARR has had a number of high-profile collaborations including a feature on Stormzy’s track ‘I Need You’ with Tendai. She is currently touring the world and has performed at a multitude of festivals, including Montreux Jazz Festival, Afronation and Wireless this summer, with her sophomore album due this year.
MAVIN continues to enhance its global reach with other talented artists on the roster, a rich list that includes Bayanni, BoySpyce, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille, Crayon, DJ Big N and Magixx.
MAVIN is led by Founder and CEO Don Jazzy and COO Tega Oghenejobo, with an executive team that is majority female, including Rima Tahini, Director of A&R, Jennifer Imion, Director of Operations, Ifeoma Okonkwo, Director of Finance, Emmanuella Nnadozie, Head of Marketing, Kizito Ahams Sync & Licensing Manager and Tobi Alabi, Head of Partnerships. MAVIN will unveil the second cohort of its MAVIN FUTURE FIVE talent leadership programme later this summer.
MAVIN founder and CEO Don Jazzy said “I’m really happy to see that MAVIN has set some new trends and records in our industry. Artists like REMA and AYRA STARR continue to inspire Afrobeats’ global domination. Johnny Drille has created a great niche, a loyal fanbase and a definitive live performance culture that will stand the test of time. I’m hopeful about our new star in the making LIFESIZE TEDDY and the exciting campaign that is now unfolding! All this is testament to the creativity, hard work and dedication of everyone at team MAVIN. Our promise has always been to continue supporting the expansion of Afrobeats into new territories and markets via collaboration and innovation. The growth has been staggering and great to see. I am also particularly excited for our producers and songwriters and MAVIN FUTURE FIVE cohort unveil as well. Watch this space! MAVIN is now a globally respected talent incubator, we are supercharged and have no intention of slowing down.”
MAVIN COO Tega Oghenejobo said “Incredible year we’ve been having. Our partners, talent, fans and stakeholders have been unbelievable. It’s our 11th year and we’re looking to break more new ground in touring, artist development and collaborations. We are looking to consolidate our successes with new talents like Bayanni, who has enjoyed a global hit with ‘Ta Ta Ta’ within his first year of active artistry, also Ladipoe who we have great ambitions for, considering the great success he has enjoyed in the past couple of years. New signings like LIFESIZE TEDDY also present an exciting opportunity to give our audience a fresh sound. The task is to sustain the momentum and we’re confident that these pillars will help us do that. We also won’t stop working with and supporting our community here – by providing a platform, developing careers, championing talent, sharing our knowledge and educating our people about the music and the industry. We want to create value for our global audiences and get even more people interested in the music business and in the culture.”
MAVIN A&R Director Rima Tahini said of AYRA STARR and LIFESIZE TEDDY “As we prepare for her next project, we understand where AYRA STARR occupies in the narrative of Afrobeats global ambitions. She is one of the most prominent ‘New Wave’ artists on the continent. We are glad she’s able to stand as an inspiration for a lot of the female artists out there who have not been able to enjoy equal levels of success as their male counterparts. She is breaking a lot of boundaries and industry stereotypes, and we’re happy to see that. It’s very interesting to see her growth and it’s only up from here. We are also excited about the MAVIN Academy, our artist incubator. One of the gems it has given us is our newest artist LIFESIZE TEDDY. Her potential is so huge and we are looking forward to seeing her through this incredible journey she has started. We will continue to discover new sounds and develop some of the continent’s brightest stars here at MAVIN.”
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About MAVIN: Founded by Don Jazzy on May 8, 2012, MAVIN is Africa’s biggest music label and home to some of Afrobeats’ best and most famed artists, producers, and music industry professionals. Finding roots in Mo’Hits Records – the defining African label of the early 2000s, also owned by Don Jazzy and D’Banj – MAVIN is a hybrid of the legacy of that era and Don Jazzy’s vision for the future of Afrobeat. MAVIN’s roster boasts of multi-talented serial hitmakers such as Johnny Drille, Ladipoe, REMA, AYRA STARR and Crayon, amongst others. The label was also once home to Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Altims, Baby Fresh and Iyanya. In January 2019, MAVIN secured a multi-million dollar investment from Kupanda Holdings, a subsidiary of Kupanda Capital and TPG Grow and inspired the label’s repositioning into Mavin Global and the company’s expansion into innovative services such as partnerships, content production, publishing and marketing.
Mavin Future Five: Mavin is building a global music powerhouse and the Mavin Future Five will join the movement. The Mavin Future Five will be a quinary of the most curious, creative and proactive music enthusiasts. A 6-Month Internship program at Mavin Global will offer candidates mentorship from the best in the business, equipping them with valuable industry experience in the continent’s biggest music label. The program will soon announce the appointment of the 2nd cohort of five young talents aged 18-23, who will be tasked with honing their music business skills via experiential learning across Digital, Artist Relations, New Business, PR & Promotions and Creative Marketing. The programme is one of the first of its kind in the Africa entertainment industry.
