Jiff

It would be easier to pigeon hole Jiff and say he sounds like such and such and looks like so and so….but truth will have it that Jiff is not your average recording artist. “My style is eclectic…I’m not an rnb artist or a Hip Hop artist, I’m a world artist.”
This multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and rapper stamped his presence in the music industry as a member of a hiphop duo, Paragon, in 1994. After a couple of singles and album releases Jiff decided to try something different, so he went solo. “I have always wanted to write songs that encompass who I am and place those songs on different musical genres,” explains the British born Nigerian.
Born in Westminster in London, Jason ‘Jiff’ Ajufo enrolled into boarding school in Middlesex at a tender age of 10 and quickly joined the local football team. “I absolutely loved football and the whole boarding life thing, but then I discovered New Edition and became an avid fan. The turning point for me was when I saw Bobby Brown win American Music Award for Favourite male artist in 1990 for his album, ‘Don’t be Cruel’ and I thought to myself that’s what I’m going to do.’ 4 years in Nigeria studying Economics helped solidify his ambition for music by choosing to learn not just writing and producing but the business side to it.
Jiff spent years entering talent competitions and helping out at recording studios. “I was also registered as an extra for movies and music videos and I can’t even begin count how movies and music videos I was an extra for. I was just trying everything I could to get into the business.” This is the tenacity that has brought Jiff to the position he is at today.
The BeatJacker Mixtape Volume 1, a compilation of penned lyrics by Jiff on instrumentals of established artist, is the defining moment when he can say in his pigeon tongue ‘I don land.’ meaning ‘he has arrived.’ “This mixtape is just a taste of what’s to come while the album is cooking. I started with ‘U R Nigerian Queen’ which I wrote in 2hours to Akon’s Mama Africa rhythm. I created a slideshow for Youtube which has now received over 100,000 views and it just went from there, I didn’t plan to do a mixtape it just happened.”
The writing skills have also not gone unnoticed. “Myspace has really been an avenue for me to reach out to other artist wanting hooks for their songs but not having the means to achieve it. It has kept me very busy, but it’s all good though.”
For Jiff, who cites R.Kelly and Babyface as among those who have inspired his adeptness as a songwriter and Teddy Riley and Timbaland as producer, the release of BeatJacker Mixtape and the debut album in the works is only the beginning of great records to come from this ambitious artist.
“I’ve always wanted to be a recording artist and I can rightly say that you won’t be disappointed.”
U R Nigerian Queen Official Video
Emergency slide show
Hooked on You Slide Show
U R Nigerian Queen slide show