10 Things You Didn't Know About D'banj

Nigerian Afrobeat star D’banj has taken the
international music scene by storm. Dapo Daniel
Oyebanjo took D’banj as his stage name,
incorporating a combination of his first and last
names. Topping charts around the world, he is
known for his unique Afrobeat-electronic sound.
Here are 10 things you didn’t about D’banj, the
hit artist.

1: D’banj was on track to follow his
father’s military career
D’banj was enrolled in the Nigerian Military
School at age 11, but decided to quit the
school after three years. During this time, he
was a member of the elite drum corps, before he
moved to the Nigerian Navy Secondary School to
finish his secondary education.

2: His love of the harmonica comes from
his late older brother
D’banj’s older brother, Femi Oyebanjo, tragically
died in a plane crash at the age of 17. Femi’s
harmonica was one of the few items retrieved
from the wreckage, and D’banj appropriated it
and began to cherish the instrument. His skill is
self-taught, – a touching tribute to his older
brother.

3: D’banj briefly studied mechanical
engineering
After receiving his secondary school degree,
D’banj briefly attended the Univeristy of Lagos in
1999, where he studied mechanical engineering
before leaving early to pursue music.

4: His parents have not always supported
his dream
D’banj’s hit song, “All The Way,” is about the
struggles he faced with his parents over his
chosen career. His father in particular continued
to hold out hope that he would pursue the
military.

5: D’banj is the first African artist to be
signed by Kanye West on the album,
G.O.O.D.
In June 2011, D’banj was signed to the label as
a part of Mo’ Hits – the allstar collective group
from Mo’ Hits Records that included Dr. SID,
Wande Coal, KaySwitch, and D’prince.

6: He was appointed as Nigeria’s first U.N.
Youth Ambassador for Peace
D’banj is the founder of the Koko Foundation for
Youth and Peace Development, an organization
dedicated to helping underserved Nigerian
children in around Lagos and Abuja. D’banj also
uses his platform and voice to discuss
international affairs. He recently condemned the
Boko Haram kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls
and urged the international community to take
swift action.

7: D’banj is rumored to have recently
joined the Illuminati
There’s an entirely unverified rumor that D’banj
and Don Jazzy split because D’banj joined the
international occult group, the Illuminati. The
rumor mills turned even quicker when Don Jazzy
donated all the proceeds from his production
catalog to charity, supposedly to avoid keeping
“dirty money.”

8: D’banj credits Fela Kuti as his
inspiration to this day
In his music, D’banj incorporates many of the
same Afro beats as the legendary Afrobeat
master, Fela Kuti. Similarly, D’banj performs in
Yoruba, English, and Pidgin English, much as
Fela Kuti did.

9: He has been linked with a variety of
African celebrities
Given his fame, D’banj has not surprisingly been
linked with a variety of women, including
Nigerian actress Genevieve Nnaji and Ghanian
actress Nadia Buari.

10: D’banj briefly had his own reality show,
“Koko Mansion”
In 2009, D’banj hosted his own reality TV show,
“Koko Mansion.” The setup was similar to
America’s “The Bachelor.” Twelve women,
referred to as “Kokolets,” competed to win his
heart.