Nigerian popstar Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’banj is also known by other monikers such as Skibanj, Kokomaster. He came into the Nigerian singing and performance scene along with his also popular producer, Don Jazzy over 12 years ago.
The duo brought something different and fresh to the music scene with their hit song and video Tongolo and since went on to conquer Nigeria and Africa.
D’banj was born in on June 9, 1980 in Zaria, Kaduna state. His parents hail from Ogun state though, with his father being a military man and his mother, a business woman. He later attended the Navy Boys Secondary school in Abeokuta, after completing his primary education and there he completed his secondary education.
His love for music was honed at a young age with him joining the elite drum corp of the Nigerian Army and later started playing the harmonica after his late brother Femi Oyebanjo, who loved playing it died in a plane crash at the age of 17.
He realized he had gotten better at playing the harmonica by the time he got to the university. He first attended the Lagos State University to study mechanical engineering but withdrew due to incessant strikes and went to the United Kingdom to continue his studies in 2001. There in London, he met Don Jazzy and together they formed a powerful producer-singer duo and came back to Nigeria in 2004 and the rest they say is history.
He and Don Jazzy formed the Mo’Hits record label which had both their siblings and some other acts. The group broke up in 2012 when D’banj, seeing an opportunity to break into the foreign music scene signed for Kanye West’s record label and Don Jazzy went on to regroup and formed the Mavin Records group. D’banj too later formed the DB records after he was released from Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music.
Dbanj has certainly put his name in the music sands of time, he accredits Fela as his mentor with his infusion of Afrobeats and Afropop. Dbanj is a great entertainer, songwriter, entrepreneur and an ambassador for quite a number of brands.
He was also the first Nigerian United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace and he has continued to wax stronger in other areas of his endeavors as well.
Since the release of his first album No Long Thing in 2005, he has not looked back since then.
Dbanj is our Man Crush Monday for the week.
SEE MORE HERE MCM: Mr. Richard “RMD” Mofe-Damijo
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