D’banj At 20: In Praise of Afrobeats’ First Rockstar

As an older millennial, one whose love story with Afrobeats started before the genre got that name; before Spotify records were set and broken, and long before Nigerian music acquired its current global mainstream status, one of my Favorite things to do is to place where we were side by side with where we are now. It’s several lifetimes apart and multiple words of difference. Yet there are individuals whose participation has helped get the genre and its attendant culture to where they are now—case in point: D’banj.

In April, he released a new single, Since ‘04, the precursor to a forthcoming album and the prelude to the series of activities to mark (as we are wont to do in these parts) his “20 years on stage.” That’s right, it’s been twenty whole years since D’banj heralded his entrance into Nigeria’s storied music industry. Twenty years have passed since D’banj and his best friend Don Jazzy changed the course of history for themselves, for Nigerian music, and, without necessarily being facetious, for the world.

Nostalgia is a powerful force. By itself, it’s enough to make things that did not seem like they were. That’s not the case here: the career of D’banj from when he made Tongolo until he and his erstwhile partner called it quits, as well as in the successive years, is the stuff of legend. In this case, nostalgia is a welcome reminder, if anyone forgot, that “Afrobeats to the World” may be a recent catchphrase. Still, the journey to getting there started a long time ago, and seminal moments have brought us to this point. It bears reiterating: the success of Afrobeats today is mainly due to figures like D’banj, who elevated the game in no small measure and made it attractive.

While we mostly speak of D’banj and Don Jazzy as though they were a package deal (in fairness, for a long time, they were), it’s no shade to the brilliance of the producer and his subsequent ascension to the mountaintop by way of Mavin; none of it would have been possible without the persona or the charisma of D’banj himself. He, without a sliver of doubt or ambiguity, is Afrobeats’ first rockstar. Heck, he called himself “African Michael Jackson”, and it rang true!

London, United Kingdom. 25th August 2019. Dbanj performing live with Compozers at 02 Academy Brixton during his UK tour. Photographed by Michael Tubes 

London, United Kingdom. 25th August 2019. Dbanj performing live with Compozers at 02 Academy Brixton during his UK tour. Photographed by Michael Tubes 

2004 was a turning point for Nigerian contemporary music. Afrobeats was still about six years from being coined, and nobody knew for sure what name to use in describing the wave of music that had started about five years prior. 2004 seemed like a “made it” year of sorts. The Remedies had bootstrapped their way into a Kennis Music recording and distribution deal and were handsomely rewarded. Tony Tetuila had an unlikely success story. Plantashun Boiz had leaned on Nelson Brown for an album that did well for everybody involved except the producer. More and more upcoming singers had joined the fray, and a new dawn was rising for the music industry with little room for upstarts. By 2004, 2face Idibia had broken out of Platanshun Boiz, taking the nation by storm. With his boyish adorableness and velvety voice, Nigeria had birthed its biggest star yet… until December of that year, when a certain Tongolo seeped in over the Christmas break.

Tongolo was different because its makers were different. For one, where many of the older set had nonchalantly ripped American hip hop tracks to create their own Naija version, Tongolo found a way to be inspired by hip hop while creating something utterly new by including Felasque and Afrobeat elements. At the time, we didn’t even know D’banj’s backstory in London; we in Nigeria welcomed the extremely addictive tune. By the time the complete album No Long Thing came out, Naija pop/Naija hip-hop, as the genre was known, had a bona fide star on its hands. The next few years were a whirlwind. Not only did D’banj and Don Jazzy create a lane for themselves, but they also extended their machinery to several other artistes. MoHits was the label of the 2000s, incubating and elevating acts like Wande Coal, Dr. Sid, D Prince, and Kayswitch, in addition to non-signed associates like Naeto C and Ikechuwku.

Perhaps the most electrifying aspect of D’banj’s career was his willingness to push the envelope and embrace the rockstar status that his music success brought his way. Who can ever forget his risque performance at the Headies (known then as the HipHop World Awards) in 2005, where he wore only a towel? Or his business savvy that saw him land a PowerFist endorsement for an unheard of 5 million naira at the time? Or Koko Mansion, a reality show in 2009 that earned him $1 million—also unprecedented for the time? The many firsts of D’banj are endless.

London, United Kingdom. 25th August 2019. Dbanj performing live with Compozers at 02 Academy Brixton during his UK tour. Photographed by Michael Tubes

D’banj is an icon; however you feel about his artistry, you cannot distract from that. He was aware of things that could have become limitations and made light of them in the first skit on the No Long Thing album. He’s defiant about them on the title track of the Entertainer album. Oliver Twist, his last hurrah with Don Jazzy, set the stage for the foray of Nigerian music into the UK mainstream. These are unimpeachable moments on which Afrobeats is built. The rapid nature of today’s industry may prevent younger fans from genuinely appreciating the greatness of D’banj, but we’re here to tell them it. It is heartwarming when one realises again that Afrobeats is a relatively young genre, and it helps contextualise the importance of his twenty years. D’banj only turned 44 years old on June 9. Can you imagine that? All his achievements were attained in less than those twenty years. Can you believe that?

Jide Taiwo is a writer and media executive. He writes from Lagos, Nigeria and tweets via @thejidetaiwo.

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