After a brief period in Los Angeles California after college, he returned to London in 1992 to make films for a living, but instead he enrolled at the University of Westminster Law School in 1993 to train as a lawyer.
British/Nigerian actress Caroline Chikezie was cast in her first starring role in Spin, which also featured Chebe Azih, Deborah Asante and Femi Houghton with the soundtrack by British/Nigerian soul singer Ola Onabule.
[10] Spin was nominated for Best New Director[11][failed verification] at the 2001 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and also for the MICA Prize at the FESPACO in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso in the same year.
[15] Filmed over a 20-year period,[16][17] the documentary series features rare and never-been-seen footages[18] of many of the big stars today, interviews from the behind-the-scene pioneers of the genre, including Ayo Shonaiya himself as a key player in the history of Afrobeats.
In all, Ayo Shonaiya created and produced 9 programs for BEN TV in 2 years, including In Perspective, Pots & Pans, Out & About and Soul Sista with Dakore Egbuson.
He agreed and signed a contract to become K1 De Ultimate's International Manager and his first job was to promote a Christmas "comeback" concert in London in December of that year.
Ayo Shonaiya would subsequently work with and/or manage the careers of the Trybesmen (and members of the Da Trybe such as Dr SID, Sasha[35] and 2Shotz[36]) over a period of 3 years.
Soon after, Ayo Shonaiya negotiated an unprecedented deal with Obaino Records in Nigeria to pay D'banj for a video remix album based on potential sales.
In 2010, model Munachi Abii (Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2007 winner)[44] was signed to Ayo Shonaiya's company RMG[45] as Muna the rapper, to manage and represent her.
In May 2012 Ayo publicly defended Muna, when she was heavily criticised and attacked on social media forums after she had a minor verbal altercation with Nigerian rap veteran Mode 9.
[46] He was in turn criticised for the way he handled the situation, some calling him arrogant,[47] but within a month of the incident, Muna and Mode 9 performed together on the same stage at Industry Nite.