Don Jazzy Reveals Multi-Million Dollar Investment Behind Rema’s Global Hit “Calm Down”
Mavin Records founder Don Jazzy has revealed the massive financial backing behind Rema’s global smash hit, “Calm Down.”
Speaking on Toolz’s Bounce series, the veteran music executive disclosed that between $4 million and $5 million was invested to push the song to its worldwide success.
According to Don Jazzy, breaking into major international markets requires aggressive and continuous promotion. He explained that the team adopts a strategic “conquer and move” approach — dominating one region before reinvesting heavily to expand into the next.
“A song like Calm Down, we probably spent close to $4–5 million to get it to where it is,” Don Jazzy revealed.
The investment has paid off massively. Released in 2022 and later amplified by the Selena Gomez remix, Calm Down went on to make history as the first African song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. It also became one of the longest-charting African songs on the Billboard Hot 100, firmly cementing Rema’s place on the global stage.
Don Jazzy’s revelation highlights the reality behind international success, showing that beyond talent, strategic planning, heavy funding, and sustained global marketing are key to elevating African artists to compete with major Western pop acts.
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