D’banj: Biography, career, awards, family

Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, better known as D’banj, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, businessman, and the co-founder of Mo’ Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. D’banj is a combination of his first name, Dapo, and his surname, Oyebanjo.

He is best known for his hit song Oliver Twist, a fast-paced dance combination of Afrobeats and electronic dance music that topped the African charts in 2011 and reached No. 2 on the UK R&B chart in 2012.

Table of Content hide 1Biography 2Career 3D’banj songs 4Albums 5D’banj family 6D’banj net worth 7D’banj awards 8D’banj and Don Jazzy 9D’banj fall in love 10Conclusion

Biography

D’banj, also known as the Kokomaster or Bangalee, was born in Zaria, Nigeria, on June 9, 1980, to a military commander who commanded an artillery regiment and a devoted church dignitary businesswoman from Shagamu, Ogun State. His siblings are twins, Taiwo and Kehinde Oyebanjo.

He completed his schooling at a Navy School in Abeokuta and then moved to the University of Lagos to study Mechanical Engineering after spending his early years in a military school. He was set to drop out of school due to the strikes, but he changed his mind after meeting with Don Jazzy.

They established the Mo’Hits All-Stars together, which was eventually disbanded. He moved on to start his own company, which has been a huge success up to this day.

Career

D’banj learned to play the harmonica from his older brother, Femi Oyebanjo, who died in a plane crash when he was 17. He struggled for his parents’ favour because his love for music was bigger than his parents’ military aspirations; this is best heard in the album tune All Da Way from his debut album.

Don Jazzy told Kokomaster that he believed he was a rising star, and the two returned to Lagos from the United Kingdom in 2005, believing that the Nigerian music scene was blossoming. The single Tongolo was released the same year, with D’Banj’s mother paying for the video. It was an instant hit, receiving widespread praise across the country. His first endorsement was for Power Fist, an energy drink.

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D’banj fuses Afrobeat and Afropop in his music with feverish passion and a healthy dose of comedy as a tribute to his mentor Fela.

His songs are based on his life, and while they are often amusing, they also have a deeper significance that recounts the struggle of a young Nigerian attempting to attain his goals. He speaks Yoruba, English, and Pidgin English in his performances.

No Long Thing, D’banj’s debut album, was released in 2005. Tongolo, the main song, was his breakout single. It also gave him the identity of Koko Master, with the term Koko taking on a multitude of connotations. D’banj’s initial popularity prompted collaborations with other musicians such as Dare Art Alade and Ikechukwu. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) selected his single Koko as its campaign theme for the 2007 national elections.

The club single Tongolo (Remix) and the lead single Why Me were among the singles from D’banj’s second album Rundown Funk U Up, which was released in 2006.

D’banj is a Mo’Hits Records artist. He is also a member of Mo’ Hits Allstars collective, including Dr. SID, Wande Coal, KaySwitch, and D’Prince. He was once seen alongside Smile Lasisi, one of Nigeria’s most outstanding vocalists.

Curriculum Vitae, the group’s debut album, was released in December 2007. It featured big hits such as Be Close To You, Booty Call, and the lead single, Move Your Body. Ikechukwu’s 2008 hit Wind Am Well featured D’banj.

The Entertainer, D’banj’s third album, was released in July 2008, including singles like Olorun Maje, Gbono Feli Feli, Kimon, and Entertainer.

He was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music record label in June 2011. He exited in September 2016.

After months of conjecture and wild speculations, Don Jazzy confirmed the break-up of Mo’Hits via his Twitter account. Following the split, Don Jazzy, D’Prince, Dr. SID, and Wande Coal formed Mavin Records, while D’banj launched DB Records, and signed his younger brother Kayswitch and two producers, Jaysleek and Deevee.

On April 7, 2013, Mi7 Records and D’banj’s company DKM Media revealed the upcoming single Bother You, which was inspired by the film Half of a Yellow Sun. D’banj, his younger brother Kay Switch, brothers MossKriss and Ralph Kriss, and Tonto Dikeh, Ebeneztizzy were among the artists signed to his record label in June 2014.

D’banj played his single Top Of The World at the 2013 African Cup of Nations closing ceremony in South Africa, and he had earlier performed at the Hackney Weekend in honor of the 2012 Summer Olympics on June 23, 2012. Jay-Z and Rihanna, two international celebrities, headlined the event.

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He also collaborated with Snoop Dogg, a well-known American rapper, on the remix of his song Mr. Endowed. Kanye West, Akon, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Fally Ipupa, and Tinie Tempah are among the worldwide artists with whom D’banj has collaborated.

D’banj has made significant investments in the agricultural and information technology sectors. D’Kings Men Media Limited, a 360 Media Company, and MCOMM Ltd are his companies (Median Mobile Communications Limited). D’Kings is in charge of the company’s recent digital initiatives.

His aptitude for business began when he entered into agriculture by developing Koko Garri, and he was almost immediately appointed as the Bank of Industry’s Ambassador. According to research, the idea was not as successful as hoped, but as with every brave entrepreneur, the lessons must be learned.

THE CREAM platform was launched in 2016 by D’Kings Men Media Limited in collaboration with MTN and the Bank of Industry. By entering a USSD code on a mobile phone, the platform was designed to identify and support Nigeria’s innovative young talents. The platform now has over 3 million users and has partnered with other well-known organizations.

D’banj was one of the judges in the just-concluded music show Nigerian Idol.

D’banj songs

The talented musician has released several hit songs. Some of which are:

Fall in Love
Oliver Twist
This Morning
It’s Not a Lie
El Chapo
Tongolo
Issa Banger
Mr. Endowed
Scape Goat
Olorun Maje
Shake It
Banga
Ikebe
Top of the World

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Albums

No Long Thing (2005)
RunDown Funk U Up (2006)
The Entertainer (2008)
D’ Kings amen (2013)
An Epic Journey (2015)
King Don Come (2017)
D’banj (2018)
Stress-Free Chapter 1 (2021)

D’banj family

In June 2016, D’banj married Lineo Didi Kilgrow. In May 2017, he announced the birth of their son, Daniel Oyebanjo III, who drowned in June 2018. The couple has two children together.

D’banj net worth

D’banj’s net worth is estimated to be N12.49 billion ($30.1m), making him one of Nigeria’s wealthiest singers.

D’banj awards

He has won numerous music awards, including:

Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2007
Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards in 2009
Best International Act: Africa at the 2011 BET Awards
Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards
Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards
Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards.

D’banj and Don Jazzy

D’banj owes the beginning of his music career to Don jazzy, as he was the one who found the artist. The duo were friends and former parents. They founded the Mo’Hits record label together. The label produced several hit songs, which put them in the limelight.

In an interview, Don Jazzy also stated that D’banj was the catalyst for his achievements. He said that the musician pushed him out of his comfort zone.

Although the duo is no longer on the same label, they remain very friendly. There is no bad blood between them.

D’banj fall in love

D’banj, a Nigerian singer and harmonica musician, has a song called Fall in Love. It’s the lead song from The Entertainer, his third studio album (2008). Don Jazzy was in charge of the song’s production. According to Africa Review, D’banj became a national celebrity in Nigeria after releasing the song.