D’banj born Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo on June 9, 1980 is a Nigerian singer and rapper who co-founded Mo’ Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. Oyebanjo went by the stage name D’banj, which is a combination of his first name, Dapo, and surname, Oyebanjo. D’banj is best known for his 2012 summer smash “Oliver Twist.”
In 2010, D’Banj began collaborating with American artists like Snoop Dogg and, in 2011, signed a deal with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. That same year, D’Banj scored a major hit with his single “Oliver Twist,” which topped a number of African charts and fared well in the U.K. and Europe as well. Prior to dissolving his partnership with Jazzy, D’Banj began working on a massive compilation album which would eventually come out on his new venture, DB Records.
He has received a number of 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, and Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards, as well as the Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Music Awards.
Musical career
D’banj learned to play the harmonica from his late older brother, Femi Oyebanjo, who died in a plane crash when he was seventeen. D’banj struggled for his parents’ approval because his love for music was greater than his parents’ military aspirations; this is best heard in an album track, All Da Way, from his debut album.
D’banj studied mechanical engineering at Lagos State University, but he decided to withdraw due to frequent strikes and other irregularities at the school. Plans to continue his studies as a mechanical engineer in London were thwarted when he arrived in the country in 2001 and met Don Jazzy, who was attempting to break into the music industry as a songwriter and producer. D’Banj began hanging out at the studio, making ends meet as a security guard. “It was fine because I worked nights,” he says, “because I could listen to music on my headphones.”
Don Jazzy told Kokomaster he thought he was a star in the making, and sensing that the music scene in Nigeria was “blossoming”, the pair returned to Lagos in 2005. That same year came the single “Tongolo”; the video was paid for by D’Banj’s mother. It became an instant hit, and gained wide acclaim across the country. His first endorsement was with an energy drink called Power Fist.
In honour of his mentor Fela, the talented entertainer uses both Afrobeat and Afropop to bring his songs to life. D’banj’s first album, ‘No Long Thing,’ was released in 2006, and he currently has five albums.
Break-up with Mo’Hits
After months of speculation and wild rumours, ace producer 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.
Following his split from Mo’hits, D’banj launched his own record label, DB Records, in 2012, and signed his younger brother, KaySwitch, as well as two producers, Jaysleek and Deevee. In the same year, he signed a multi-album deal with Sony Music Entertainment, which included a contract with his brother, KaySwitch, and a collaboration with his record label, DB Records. D’banj has had a prosperous musical career.
Dbanj net worth is estimated at $11 million as of 2021 by Forbes.
