Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1981), identified by his stage title D’banj, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, harmonica participant, and entrepreneur. He has gained a number of music awards, together with the awards for Best African Act on the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007,[3] Artist of the Year on the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009,[4] Best International Act: Africa on the 2011 BET Awards, and Best-selling African Artist on the 2014 World Music Awards, Evolution award on the 2015 MTV Africa Music awards

He adopted the stage title D’banj, a mix of his first title, Dapo, and his surname, Oyebanjo.[3] D’banj is at present finest identified internationally for his 2012 summer season hit “Oliver Twist“, an uptempo dance fusion of Afrobeat and digital dance music that topped the African charts 2011 and was a high 10 hit within the UK singles chart in 2012 reaching No. 2 on the UK R&B chart. As of 2016, D’banj is ranked to be the richest solo musician in Nigeria in keeping with T.I.N Magazine.[5]

D’banj was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria to a army officer who commanded an artillery regiment and a church dignitary mom who hailed from Shagamu in Ogun State. Due to his father’s career he moved a number of instances inside Nigeria and later moved to England. D’banj was anticipated to comply with his father’s army profession and was enrolled to the Nigerian Military School at age eleven. However, D’banj resisted the system and disenrolled from the college after three years. While on the Military college he was a member of the elite drum corp of the Nigerian Army. From the Nigerian Military School he proceeded to a different army owned establishment Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ibara, Abeokuta the place he accomplished his secondary college training.[6]

D’banj was launched to the harmonica by his late older brother, Femi Oyebanjo, who died in a aircraft crash at age seventeen.[6]With D’banj’s love for music being higher than his dad and mom’ army aspirations, he struggled for his dad and mom’ approval; this may be finest heard via an album observe, All Da Way from his debut album.[3]

Following the dying of his 17-year-outdated brother, D’banj organized all his possessions on his mattress after they had been introduced dwelling and simply picked up his harmonica. I’d play it to recollect him.” Later, at university, he realised what his new skills with the instrument could bring him. “I’d go to the feminine hostel after lectures, and even when there was no electrical energy I might play there.” He remembers learning Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” after Titanic came out – “and that received me lots of ladies!”

D’banj then proceeded to the Lagos State University to check Mechanical engineering however as a result of fixed strikes and a number of other irregularities within the college he determined to withdraw. Plans to proceed his research as a mechanical engineer in London had been derailed when he arrived within the UK in 2001, and met Don Jazzy who was attempting to make it as a songwriter and producer. D’Banj began hanging across the studio, making ends meet whereas working as a safety guard. “It was OK, because I did nights,” he says, “so I could listen to music on my headphones.”

Don Jazzy informed D’Banj he thought he was a star within the making, and sensing that the music scene in Nigeria was “blossoming”, the pair returned to Lagos in 2004. That similar 12 months got here the one “Tongolo”; the video was paid for by D’Banj’s mom. His first endorsement was with an power drink known as Power Fist.[7]

In April 2011, D’banj was interviewed byBET‘s April Woodard. The interview, titled “Welcome to America”, was a platform for D’banj to introduce himself to the American Music Industry and viewers which he acknowledged he was going to get into. In the interview, D’banj spoke on a variety of subjects together with his music, artists he’d prefer to work with, his dad and mom, Mo’Hits Records, his love life, and his function fashions: Kanye West, Usher, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, and others. The interview lasted 125 minutes, and was the avenue used to formally declare his willpower to steer African music into many quarters that its but to achieve.[8]

As a tribute to his mentor Fela, D’banj makes use of a fusion of Afrobeat and Afropop to deliver his music to life and into the 21st century with breathless enthusiasm in addition to an excellent dose of humour. His songs are based mostly on his life, usually hilarious however with a deeper that means which paperwork the battle of a younger Nigerian attempting to attain his desires. He performs in Yoruba, English and Pidgin English.

D’banj’s debut album, No Long Thing, was launched in 2005. It yielded a number of singles with Tongolo because the lead single. This proved to be his breakthrough single and successful. It additionally supplied his Koko Master persona, with the time period, koko, taking up quite a lot of meanings. D’banj’s debut success led to collaborations with different artists, together withDare Art Alade and Ikechukwu. D’Banj’s single koko was utilized by the PDP (ruling political celebration in Nigeria) as its marketing campaign theme for the 2007 common elections.

D’banj’s second album Rundown Funk U Up, which was launched in 2006, yielded a number of singles together with the membership single,Tongolo (Remix), and the lead single Why Me?. This proved to be one other hit.

D’banj, as an artist of Mo’ Hits Records, can also be a member of its collective group, Mo’ Hits Allstars (consists of artists Dr SID, Wande Coal, KaySwitch, and D’Prince). He has as soon as been noticed with one among Nigeria’s most proficient singers, “Smile Lasisi”. The collective’s debut album, Curriculum Vitae, was launched in December 2007. It included hit singles, “Be Close To You”, “Booty Call” and “Move Your Body”, which was the lead single. D’banj was featured in Ikechukwu’s 2008 hit, “Wind Am Well”.

July 2008 noticed the discharge of D’banj’s third album, The Entertainer, with the singles “Gbono Feli Feli”, “Kimon”, “Olorun Maje” and “Entertainer”.[9]

In June 2011, D’banj was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music report label as an artiste. On 9 June 2011, D’banj wrote on his Twitter account, @iamdbanj, “Just like yesterday, myself and my brother did Tongolo. 7 years later, Mo’Hits signs with GOOD Music. Best Birthday gift ever. God thank you.”[10]

After a number of months of hypothesis and wild rumours, ace producer, Don Jazzy confirmed by way of his Twitter account the break-up of Mo’Hits. After the break-up, Don Jazzy, D’Prince, Dr SID, Wande Coalbegan Mavin Records[11] whereas D’banj based DB Records and as anticipated, he signed his youthful brother Kayswitch to the label alongside two producers, Jaysleek and Deevee.[12]

In December 2012 D’banj signed a mega take care of Sony,Speaking on the significance of the deal to Sony, Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment Sean Watson mentioned: “Partnering with D’Banj is a seminal event for us at Sony Music Entertainment Africa. We’ve always admired his talent and to be able to assist with bringing D’Banj’s music to millions of fans, established and new, across the continent is an honour for us. We are very excited about being a part of it.”

The deal is being described as a “Pan African, multi-album deal with Sony Music’s RCA Records. It also involves an exclusive management deal with Sony Music and strategic partner ROCKSTAR4000 for the continent. Add to that a multi-album, worldwide exclusive contract with emerging Nigerian singer-songwriter star Kayswitch and a strategic partnership with D’Banj’s Nigerian record label DB Records”.[13]

The forthcoming single “Bother You”, impressed by the movie Half of a Yellow Sun, was launched on 7 April 2013, by Mi7 Records and D’banj’s label DKM.[14] In June 2014 D’banj introduces artists beneath his report label, which incorporates himself, youthful brother Okay-Switch, brothers MossKriss and Ralph Kriss and Tonto Dikeh and Ebenez Tizzy.[15]

D’banj is an everyday performer for the annual ThisDay Africa Rising Music Festival. He has carried out at Femi Kuti‘s new Afrikan Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos in addition to the Shrine Synchro System’s common London Night at Cargo. He carried out on the Black President Concert in reminiscence of Fela’s artwork and legacy on the Barbican in London, and likewise alongside many worldwide artists in Nigeria like Kelly Rowland on the 1st Edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 inAbuja, Nigeria.[16]

He was concerned in one of the crucial anticipated occasions of the season ‘Koko Concert’. This live performance consisted of D’Banj,Don Jazzy, Dr SID, Wande Coal, D’Prince, new Mo Hits recruit Ikechukwu plus a couple of visitor appearances together with May7ven and comic Tunde Ednut. The stage was set for an exhilarating night time – the Koko impact is certainly LIVE in London as followers of D’Banj and Mo’ Hits stuffed the O2 enviornment to capability. As anticipated, the hits simply saved coming and the momentum was sustained with on-stage antics from all of the artists. In December 2010, the Mo’ Hits All Stars introduced Koko Concert to Lagos[17] and D’banj saved belting out energetic performances that saved the viewers screaming. Colleagues like M.I, eLDee, Jesse Jagz, and Wizkid additionally joined up on stage. There was additionally a world premiere of the extremely anticipated “Mr Endowed (Remix)” that includes Snoop Doggand likewise a current observe “Blame It on the Money” that includes the Californian native andBig Sean.

On 23 June 2012, D’banj carried out on theHackney Weekend to have a good time the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was headlined byJay-Z and Rihanna. He carried out alongside his buddy, and fellow Universal Music Group label mate, Rita Ora on 30 August 2012 on the SCALA London Live Music, Clubs and Arts Venue to have a good time the discharge of her debut album Ora.[18] He additionally carried out on the AFCON 2013 closing ceremony held in South Africa.On 18 April 2015, D’banj carried out on the Global citizen earth day a Free Concert on Capitol Hill (Washington Monument Grounds) for the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day placed on by Global Poverty Project and the Earth Day Network [19]

With D’banj’s first album got here his first endorsement from an power drink known as Power Fist.[20] In May 2013, D’banj was named the Bank of Industry (BOI) ambassador.[21] In November 2013, D’banj re-signed a multi-million Naira take care of Globacom, the corporate he parted methods with in 2010.[22] In June 2014 D’Banj Secures Deal With Heritage Bank.[23] In October 2014, D’banj was named the official African ambassador for Beats by Dre.[24] In February 2015, D’banj was named the official African ambassador for Ciroc Nigeria.[25] In an unique story on Tush Magazine Issue 11, Banky W and Dbanj shed extra lights on how they turned Ciroc Ambassadors.[26] In September 2015,D’banj was made the model ambassador of SLOT, a preferred cell phone, and digital gadget retail outfit.[27]Dbanj is now essentially the most richest Hip-Hop artist in Nigeria

D’banj is the founding father of Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development. He can also be Nigeria’s first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace.[28] Dbanj is a ONE campaign ambassador; he launched the music “Cocoa Na Chocolate” in assist of agriculture investments.[29] ‘Cocoa Na Chocolate’ featured 18 different African artists and gained Best African Collaboration on the All Africa Music Awards in 2014.

In 2015, he was applauded by World BankChief, Jim Yong Kim for utilizing his music energy and excessive movie star standing to bringing consideration to critical and important points inAfrica with particular concentrate on agriculture and poverty alleviation. Jim Yong Kim was quoted saying that “I had the pleasure of meeting D’banj last month and seeing him perform. I’m thrilled he is the first artists to take part in our new Music4Dev series encouraging global artist to raise awareness about poverty and related issues.”[30]

In 2015 D’banj launched the video toExtraordinary to lift consciousness on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. World financial institution endorsed music as a music for Women consciousness.[31]