Jerome Sydenham

Jerome Sydenham is an American music producer, label owner and DJ with expertise in A&R, art and fashion curation. He is the owner of Bodija Music Publishing (BMG) and Bodija Music (ASCAP).

Early life Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, Sydenham developed a spiritual connection to music from an early age. Inspired by musicians such as King Sunny Adé and Fela Kuti, as well as the sounds of Fuji Reggae and Apkala music. This marked the beginning of his professional journey as a young executive in the A&R department at Atlantic and East West Records. He contributed to the success of En Vogue, Simply Red, Das EFX, Snow and Gerald Levert.

Sydenham was recruited into the A&R division of Atlantic Records in 1989. While at Atlantic/ East West Records (Time Warner), under the tutelage of Merlin Bobb and Silvia Rhone Jerome Sydenham enjoyed commercial succes as the youngest African record executive in the American corporate music industry.

A&R achievements

Gold records LeVert – "Private Line" (single) (1991) En Vogue – "My Lovin" (first single from Funky Divas) (1992) En Vogue – "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" (second single from Funky Divas) (1992) En Vogue – "Free Your Mind" (third single from Funky Divas) (1992) En Vogue – "Give It Up, Turn It Loose" (fourth single from Funky Divas) (1993) Da Lench Mob – Guerillas in tha Mist (album) (1992) Das EFX – "They Want EFX" (single) (1992)

Platinum records En Vogue – Born to Sing (album) (1990) En Vogue – Funky Divas (album) (1990), US 5× platinum En Vogue – "Hold On" (single from Born to Sing) (1992) Simply Red – Stars (album) (1991), US 12× platinum Snow – 12 Inches of Snow (album) (1992) Snow – "Informer" (single) (1992) Das EFX – Dead Serious (album) (1992)

He was executive producer for "Underground Dance Music Vol. 1" (Atlantic, 1992) showcasing some of the earliest productions from a young Roger Sanchez, Murk and Pal Joey, Kerri Chandler (In 2006 Sydenham, acting as executive producer, re-issued these records under Ibadan Records) . He would continue to work with the likes of Dennis Ferrer , Adam Bayer (Drumcode) , Ron Trent , Joe Claussell , The Martinez Brothers and Seth Troxler.

Label management

After leaving the corporate world , Sydenham established his first independent label, Pallas Records, 1994 (a boutique golden e-rap label alongside hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy). The Label focused on hip-hop and R&B, and achieved platinum success with the Chicago hip-hop group Crucial Conflict, as well as underground success with West Coast street legend Erule and his enduring hip-hop classic "Listen Up".

In 1995 Sydenham founded Ibadan Records (House, Techno) in New York City, though it is now run out of Berlin, Germany. The label celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2010 , 30th anniversary in 2025.

Events In August 2022, Sydenham orchestrated the inaugural African cultural event "Afromatic Tokyo" culminated in the first A-list African art auction (in the Hillside Terrace Gallery) in Japanese history.

DJ career Sydenham’s "ever-expanding love affair" that has spanned most major cities and countries across the globe , Avocado and Royal Babylon (Techno) , Kraftmatic and Ibadan (House) . Jerome Sydenham’s expansion into the cultural sphere gave birth to Afromatic.

In 2008, Sydenham permanently settled in Berlin, performing primarily at Berghain and Panorama Bar. Also, he was appearing frequently at many of Berlin’s major clubs whilst continuing his international endeavours.