As a young boy, he grew up listening to the Afro-beat sound of the great one, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and so it’s not surprising to hear him say that his ambition is to be the biggest living African artiste in the world, just the way Fela was before he joined his ancestors nine years ago.
With his first album entitled No Long Thing produced by Don Jazzy and which contains hit tracks like Tongolo, Mobo Lowo Won, Don’t Ask Me, Soco and All The Way, D’bang is on his way to achieving his set target. He sings or rather monologues in Yoruba, English languages and Pidgin English.
Born Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, but better known as D’Banj, which in fact are the combination of his first name, Dapo, and his surname, Oyebanjo, D’Banj’s songs, which are mostly in Yoruba and Pidgin English, are increasingly becoming a clichÈ among youths and the young at heart.
Before hitting the limelight in Nigeria, 26-year-old D’Banj was resident in London where he had the opportunity of honing his skill by performing as guest artiste at various shows and gigs involving JJC & 419 Squad. This was the singular tonic he needed to pursue his ambition of becoming the biggest living African artiste, as he stepped into the studio to record songs for his debut in London.
But unlike his fellow musicians, who strongly believe they have all it takes to shine like a million stars in European and American music scenes, D’Banj was smart enough to realise that for him to make it in the global music scene, he had to first conquer Nigeria, his motherland.
And so in 2004 he returned to Lagos with No Long Thing. With an infectious Afro-beat rhythm fused with juju, D’Banj got every music lover chorusing Tongolo and File. And as if to show his critics that the success he notched with No Long Thing is not a flash on the pan, D’Banj is back with a sophomore CD, Run Down, which contains Why Me, a brand new song that is ruling the airwaves including Channel O, MTV base, and Sound City.
He has recorded songs with established artistes like Ruggedman, JJC & 419 Squad, Weird MC, El Dee, Da Don, Ikechukwu and others in Nigeria; and international artistes like Bennie Man, Wayne Wonder, Kevin Little and Ja Rule. Most recently, he was adjudged the best Nigerian performer at the THISDAY Music Festival, which held in October.
His songs are based on true-life stories, usually his own, often hilarious but with a deeper meaning, which documents the struggle of a young African trying to achieve his dreams. All The Way is about the struggles he faced with his parents over his decision to become a professional musician. Like the debut, the video of Run Down was produced by Don Jazzy, the same man who produced No Long Thing and it is currently the number one playing video on Channel O, MTV base and Sound City, thus becoming the first African artiste to achieve that feat.
The beginning of his achievements came when in 2005 he won a Kora Award as the Most Promising Male Artiste. Koko Master, as he is also known, has won many other awards from "Revelation of the Year award", from Hip Hop World Awards in 2006; Artiste of the Year, Nigeria Music Awards, UK 2006; Role Model Award, Delta State University, 2006; Best New Comer, 2006; and Channel O Music awards, 2006. He is also the artiste of the month November/December, 2006 on MTV base.
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