DJ Abass is a Nigerian DJ and an Entertainment & Media Consultant based in the United Kingdom. He is also well known in the Nigerian and African community in the United Kingdom for presenting the television show Intro and the Big Nigerian Independence Intro Jam[1] series produced by himself and his friend Ayo Shonaiya

Ayo Shonaiya

Ayo Shonaiya is a producer of film, television and music projects. He is also a lawyer and an experienced talent agent who has managed and represented many of Nigeria's top artists, over time or on a one off basis...

. He is the CEO of the entertainment and media management outfits – DJAMUSIC & DJAMEDIA./index.shtml

Background

DJ Abass was born in London on the 9th of January, 1968 to Kolawole Rasak Tijani (deceased) and Deborah Kojusola Tijani, a nurse and midwife. He then moved to Nigeria with his younger brother where he was educated at Mate Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos and later Baptist High School Port-Harcourt. He then went on to the University Of Ado-Ekiti (formerly Ondo State University) where he bagged a degree in Political Science. DJ Abass is the first of four children and also has two older half brothers.

Early career

DJ Abass’ career in music started as a DJ while he was a graduate student in university. He later then joined The Guardian Newspapers in Lagos where as an entertainment writer, he started coming in close contact with actors, musicians and established club deejays on the Lagos night club circuit. This was when he was ‘bitten’ by the showbiz ‘bug’.

He moved to London in the 90’s where he started out as a mobile and club DJ and his mix tapes became very popular within the UK Afro-Caribbean communities in London.

In 2000, DJ Abass was a founding member of the Nigerian DJs Association UK chapter and helped organise a series of concerts showcasing the very best of ‘Naija’ DJs in the UK.

In 2002, moved into artiste management when he met trio of Soji Adebayo, Michael Orebiyi and Michael Enebeli (a.k.a Don Jazzy

Don Jazzy

Michael Collins Ajereh , better known as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian Multi award-winning record producer, singer-songwriter, musician and CEO of Nigerian record label Mo' Hits Records founded in 2004...

) performing as Solek Crew at a regular weekly night spot. He subsequently started to informally manage the group which went on to be one of the hottest indigenous Nigerian acts in the UK. The band featured as headline act at many events notably The BIG Nigerian Independence Intro Jam and The Nigerian Corner at the Notting Hill Carnival. DJ Abass also met and mentored the artiste KAS in this period and took him on a trip to Nigeria in 2006.

Television

In 2003, DJ Abass became the 1st African in Europe to present a live music show on television on the hit music program ‘Intro Live with Dj Abass’. Intro Live was a two hour TV show which aired on Ben TV and was seen all over Europe and in some parts of North Africa. Guests on the show include stars like King Sunny Ade, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Dbanj, Nneka, Erika Badu, George Clinton, Brenda Fassie, Ying Yang Twins, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Lady Saw, Sir Shina Peters, Werason, Ebenezer Obey, and many more.

Intro the TV show then had successful spin-offs in the Intro concert series which included The BIG Nigerian Independence Intro Jam, The Intro Summer Jam and The Intro Christmas Jam. The Nigerian pop star D'banj

D'banj

Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo , is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and harmonica player. He has won several music awards including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009. and BET Awards of 2011 for Best International Act; Africa...

's debut solo performance was at the 2004 edition of the BIG Independence Intro Jam and days after was guest in his first ever televised interview on ‘Intro with DJ Abass’.

Media Consultancy

DJ Abass is the CEO of DJAMUSIC & DJAMEDIA. These two outfits are dedicated media and entertainment consultancy companies specialising in first class entertainment events management and full media campaigns for targeted demographics within the Nigerian and African communities in the UK. They have been responsible for some of the biggest and most prestigious entertainment events within the African social network and notable among these are first class Nollywood movie premieres, football matches in the UK involving the Super Eagles, concerts, comedy shows and regular night club events.

Personal Life

DJ Abass is married to Adenike and has two children – Oluwatobiloba and Oluwatomiwa. He is a fan of Arsenal Football Club, a team his father also supported.