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D'banj
Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo better known by his stage name D'banj, is a Nigerian singer and rapper and the founder of Mo' Hits Records with producer Don Jazzy. He has won several music awards, including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007,Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009, Best International Act: Africa at the 2011 BET Awards, and Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards, Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Musical awards
09June
198009 June 1980
Born
Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, born on 9 June 1980, is more widely recognized by his stage name D'banj.
21July
199021 July 1990
Early life
D'banj, who is also referred to as the Kokomaster or Bangalee, was born in Zaria, a city located in the northern part of Nigeria. His parents came from diverse backgrounds, with his father serving as a military officer in charge of an artillery regiment, and his mother being a dedicated church dignitary and businesswoman from Shagamu in Ogun State. Among his siblings are twins named Taiwo and Kehinde Oyebanjo.
21July
200521 July 2005
Musical beginning
D'banj's musical journey began with the influence of his late brother, Femi Oyebanjo, who introduced him to the harmonica. Despite his parents' military aspirations, D'banj's love for music prevailed, and he faced challenges in gaining their approval. He achieved significant success with his debut album "No Long Thing" and subsequent releases, leading to collaborations and endorsements. Notably, he signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music record label and later founded DB Records. D'banj also secured a deal with Sony Entertainment and released the album "King Don Come" in 2017, featuring various guest artists.
21July
201021 July 2010
Live performances
In December 2010, the Mo' Hits All Stars hosted the Koko Concert in Lagos, and D'banj performed at various international events, including the Hackney Weekend in June 2012, the SCALA London Live Music in August 2012, the AFCON 2013 closing ceremony in South Africa, and the Global Citizen Earth Day Concert in Washington, D.C. on 18 April 2015.
21July
201321 July 2013
Endorsements
D'banj's career saw numerous endorsement deals, including being named the ambassador for Bank of Industry, re-signing with Globacom in November 2013, securing a deal with Heritage Bank in June 2014, becoming the official African ambassador for Beats by Dre in October 2014, and being named the official African ambassador for Ciroc Nigeria in February 2015, contributing to his status as one of the wealthiest Afrobeats artists in Nigeria.
21July
201621 July 2016
Humanitarian work
D'banj, as the founder of Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development and Nigeria's first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace, actively participated in various campaigns, such as being a ONE campaign ambassador and releasing the song "Cocoa Na Chocolate" to support agriculture investments; he received recognition from World Bank Chief, Jim Yong Kim, for using his music and celebrity status to address critical African issues, including agriculture and poverty alleviation, and also promoted gender equality and women's empowerment through the release of the song and video "Extraordinary." Moreover, his D'Kings Men Media collaborated with MTN Nigeria and the Bank of Industry to launch THE CREAM PLATFORM, which has achieved remarkable success in discovering talents across Nigeria.
21July
202221 July 2022
Legal Issues and Controversies
On 7 December 2022, D'banj was arrested by the ICPC for alleged fraud related to the diversion of funds earmarked for Nigeria's N-Power project, following his repeated refusal to cooperate with the agency's investigations; he is accused of conspiring with government officials to include ghost beneficiaries and divert funds to accounts linked to him, raising concerns about accountability and transparency within the project.
21July
202321 July 2023
Personal life
In June 2016, D'banj married Lineo Didi Kilgrow, and they welcomed their son, Daniel Oyebanjo III, in May 2017; tragically, the child drowned in June 2018. In June 2020, D'banj faced allegations of rape from Seyitan Babatayo, who later went missing and then retracted her accusations after claiming to have been coerced by Nigerian police and D'banj's management team; D'banj denied the allegations and sued Babatayo for N1.5 billion.
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