D’banj is releasing a new album soon titled “King Don Come.”
And although numerous people aren’t shaking all over for the project,
everyone has sat up and taken notice of the singer’s new project. He is
constantly in the news, his fans are supporting and the countdown to the
project is on.
And all these are
happening naturally. D’banj is one of those artists with very limited PR
and social media team. Look across the music industry towards many of
the artists who started out with him, and you can point out only few who
still enjoy any sort of attention, or command the relevance that D’banj
has right now.
We all know the D’banj
story and how he built Mo’Hits records with Don Jazzy. All the stories
surrounding their rise, success and eventual breakup has been covered.
This article deals with his post Mo’Hits evolution and how he has been
able to fight and maintain his position at the top of the music
industry.
play
D'banj(D'banj/Instagram)
Isn’t
this the D’banj that everyone says is finished musically? How is his
name still dominating the conversations around pop music, the culture
and generally anything in the music industry?
Dapo
Oyebanjo has combined talent with a series of incredibly savvy moves
over the years. Perhaps the biggest secret to his success is the specter
of failure that looms right across the room, if he fails to act. Add
that to his paranoia that Don Jazzy and is crew are coming to get him,
and you have an overworking man. Who is out to prove to doubters that he
can be a success beyond Don Jazzy.
There
are many ways in which he has gone about it. Public opinion on D’banj
has it that he is musically past his peak. And there’s some truth in
that. Bangalee is far from the chart-topper who reigned at the top of
the charts. That position is left for the kids (Wizkid and Davido) to
occupy these days.
When D’banj left
Mo’Hits and accepted a deal with Kanye West and GOOD Music, he was
extremely relevant musically. ‘Oliver Twist’ had just hit its
international peak, and everyone was connected to the music. Kanye West,
(yes, Kanye West showed up in the video). The deal later fell through,
and D’banj was released by the label, but he has found new ways to work
around that.
play
D'banj(D'banj/Instagram)
Musically,
where he has failed to attract the ears of the public, he had
maintained interest with gimmicks and big collaborations. Big Sean,
Snoop Dog, Idris Elba, and Kanye West have records with D’banj since he
left Mo’Hits. He has also brought Amber Rose to party in Lagos. By doing
this he has maintained his press presence and kept his name flying in
the highest circles.
Musically, he also
had hits. He dined out many nights on ‘Feeling the nigga’, which had a
remix with Akon. D’banj snaked himself into the remix of ‘Oritsefemi’s
‘Double wahala’. ‘Top of the world’ was performed at the 2013 Africa Cup
Of Nations closing ceremony. While ‘Emergency’ gave him a renewed vigor
which attracted tech Retail Company, SLOT.
Since he departure from Mo’Hits, he has had one compilation album “D’Kings Men,” and an EP titled “An Epic Journey.”
As
a business man, D’banj has leveraged on the strength of his brand to
work with Beats, Ciroc, Bank Of Industry, GLO and many others. He is
currently partnered with MTN and Bank Of Industry for a content creation
and talent discovery platform named ‘CREAM’.
play
D'banj(D'banj/Instagram)
He
also hasn’t left out humanitarian causes. He owns an NGO, Koko
Foundation For Youth and Peace Development. He is also Nigeria's first
United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace. Dbanj is a ONE campaign
ambassador; he released the song "Cocoa Na Chocolate" in support of
agriculture investments. 'Cocoa Na Chocolate' featured 18 other African
artists and won Best African Collaboration at the All Africa Music
Awards in 2014.
In 2015, he was applauded
by World Bank Chief, Jim Yong Kim for using his music power and high
celebrity status to bringing attention to serious and critical issues in
Africa with special focus 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."
play
D'Banj with Blac Chyna and Bernice Burgos at his listening party(bellanaija)
No
matter the odds, D’banj has managed to keep it all together, grow
older, and remain relevant. And now he is returning with his first solo
album since Don Jazzy was still his partner, and teasing a project that
has everyone talking and ready to engage.
“King
Don Come” album will hit the markets on Friday July 17, 2017. It’s a
new level and artistry for D’banj, and trust me, no matter the quality
of the music on display, you can be sure to know that it will dominate
conversations across the continent.
No comments:
Post a Comment