D’banj may still be raking in millions of naira, but the quality of
his music is giving fans and pundits cause for concern. YNaija attempts a
diagnosis.
Let’s start with a simple question: When was the last time D’banj released a hit? *crickets*
Exactly.
In
the past two years of ‘silence’, the kokomaster has in fact released
song after song. The problem? All have been uniformly dreadful.
A music manager who has worked with D’banj in the past, and asks to remain unnamed, puts it succinctly:
“You
know that there is a big problem when a musician begins to be known
more for ‘kpo-kpo garri’ and his relationship with Genevieve or some
desperate housewife in Atlanta, than for his music.” Mr. Endowed
In
February 2011, the remix of music superstar D’banj’s hit, Mr. Endowed
burst onto the collective consciousness of Nigerians. In the
accompanying video was his longtime collaborator, partner and friend,
Don Jazzy, gently nodding and swaying, true to his style. Also present
was ageless rap veteran and lackadaisical charmer, Snoop Dogg – who was
christened OluwaSnoop – and who professed love for “my nephew D’banj
from Nigeria”. Eja Nla (Yoruba for ‘big fish’), as the Nigerian would
come to be known later, had landed himself a really big fish.
Everyone
gushed about the alluring video vixen, the wad of dollar bills used as
rolls of toilet paper and how good the trio looked together. It would go
on to be the definitive moment for D’banj’s international career which
blossomed after the release of Oliver Twist, the single that would go on
to become a UK Top Ten hit the next summer.
D’banj
eventually became the first home-based superstar. His success was a
deviation from the model adopted by artistes such Asa and Nneka who
migrated abroad to flourish, having been empowered by the enabling
atmosphere of their new base. Here was a made-in-Naija boy who had grown
in leaps and bounds, his success fuelled by the tenacity to survive the
jungle that is the Nigerian music industry.
In June
2011, after months of speculations and rumours, rapper and agent
provocateur Kanye West signed both Don Jazzy & D’banj to G.O.O.D
Music. The latter featured in the label’s compilation EP, Cruel Summer,
making a cameo appearance even in the video for Mercy, alongside fellow
label mates Pusha T, Big Sean and of course West. Furthermore, fans were
treated to a surprise appearance from Yeezy at the Koko concert in
London. With the unprecedented success of the Oliver Twist single and
the announcement of international deals, first with Mercury Island
Records and then Sony Music, it seemed like D’banj had finally struck
gold. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Or could it?
A G.O.O.D man’s worth
The
kokomaster’s success had an expiry date, it seems. The magic that truly
captivated everyone – from designer Giuseppe Zanotti who once sent him a
custom-built pair of sneakers, to reality TV star Kenya Moore who
allegedly paid $40,000 to have D’banj pose as her boyfriend – is
withering away. His recent singles have not been as infectious as their
predecessors were and since Oliver Twist, not one has been as big a hit
as any of those released in the era of the defunct Mo’Hits.
Even G.O.O.D Music, it seems, has parted ways with the flamboyant entertainer.
In his two years’ with the label, there was neither a tour with Kanye nor a major collaboration.
There was the forgettable track with Big Sean and Pusha T who performed
in Nigeria, the sub-par verses from Yeezy himself on the Scapegoat
remix and vocal credits of a line or less on the Cruel Summer EP. Save
for those and the Yeezy cameos – at the London Koko concert and in the
Oliver Twist video – D’banj seemed to be on the label’s roster only in
name.
Was the deal worth the hype? Should D’banj have
listened to advice from partner Don Jazzy and strengthened his hold on
the home front before attempting to break new grounds in the US? “Looking
back, it almost seems like it was a huge publicity stunt because there
is really nothing to show for it”, argues Arinze Obikili, US-based
blogger and founder of Jaguda.com. “When you compare it with 2face who
collaborated with T-Pain, and featured on another song with him and
Akon,” explains Arinze who is known in Nigerian social media circles as
Aribaba, “and Wizkid who is rumored to be on a song with Young Jeezy and
The Game, you see that D’banj pretty much wasted two good years with
Kanye, going for something that he could have attempted by himself”.
After
all the fanfare that greeted his G.O.O.D signing, what might have
informed Kanye’s decision to drop him from the label; so soon and
without any recognizable impact? Aribaba theorizes: “I think it was a
business decision. Perhaps he thought that the US wasn’t ready for
mainstream African music or that he had overestimated D’banj’s value.
Seeing as most of the artistes signed to G.O.O.D Music have great
singing or rapping skills, and D’banj has neither, he probably thought
it wasn’t worth the effort trying to force him down the US audience’s
throat or figure out what to do with him. What would’ve been ideal is if
Don Jazzy stayed. In that case, Don Jazzy would’ve worked with D’banj,
and the G.O.O.D Music brand would have been the package around what they
would have done to sell to the US market”. Foladele Falana, an entertainment journalist with TV Continental, questions the motive for the signing.
“Our excitement about the whole deal was in vain,” she muses. “I don’t see that he was noticeably more successful with them than when he wasn’t.
It shows that you don’t even need to be signed to an international record label to make it”. Nothing more for Oliver Twist
His
away form has trailed him back home, as the story is no different; a
number of mediocre singles have been released under his newly
established DB Records since his marriage to Kanye and the end of the
defunct Mo’Hits. D’Kings Men, a compilation album on his new label
got a mention in the New York Times, but was nevertheless less than
stellar. Furthermore, his usually high performance ratings have been
inconsistent – there was the lacklustre performance in Zimbabwe where he
was booed off stage as he ran out of popular songs to perform. Raise
Your Glasses, the Hennessy Artistry song has not fared well.
His
single, Bother You, for the soundtrack of the film adaptation of Half of
a Yellow Sun is as cheesy as it is unspectacular, with ThisDay writer,
Ayodeji Rotinwa commenting: “Were I not judging it per its mesh with the
movie, I’d call it a fine piece of sonic rubbish. I daresay it even
falls under D’banj’s customarily low standards.” Indeed, save for that
octane-level verse on the groovy remix of Naeto C’s Tony Montana,
nothing new from the kokomaster has really stuck. The
Koko Music Empire is on the verge of disintegration and its head honcho
has turned to his business ventures to save face, launching products as
random and diverse as garri and mobile phones. It doesn’t end there,
however.
According to a reliable industry source, D’banj literally
begged to be featured on songs by KCee and up-comer Burna Boy (Emmah and
Won Da Mo respectively) to ‘stay relevant’ in the industry. Both acts
established themselves as A-list stars in the three years in which Eja
Nla bustled back and forth between Nigeria, the UK and the US. When
begging did not work, he resorted to other means, as was the case with
Blame It on the Money, a track which was supposedly ‘bought’ from
Durella. Both men released their versions successively, confusing the
public and causing fans to debate on ownership of the song. Furthermore,
he unsuccessfully attempted to sign Durella, Olamide and other
artistes, going as far as authorizing misleading press releases.
Eventually, he ended up with DeeVee and 2Kriss, who are yet to release
official singles on the label, and his brother Kayswitch.
Mo’Hits to No Hits
It
stings to think that things were not always like this. Once, D’banj was
the undisputed king in an arena where his touch was the major and
telling contribution, rather than the minor one. After returning to
Nigeria from a sojourn to the UK in the 2000s, he began a joint effort
which was named Mo’Hits Records. It was one of the first modern labels
around, challenging the monopoly of Kennis Records, with D’banj as the
lead act.
Not since Fela Kuti had another performer so
wonderfully captivated fans with his energetic performances on stage.
While both men weren’t abundantly blessed in the vocals department,
their dexterity with instruments was a common denominator. Fela was a
saxophonist who could play other instruments, while D’banj brought fame
to the harmonica. And while the one had Tony Allen, the other had Don
Jazzy.
He branded himself as the quintessential showman
with major input from his partner who was styled in the manner of a
Sicilian mafia don; getting credit and loyalty, but speaking only when
necessary. They were an instant hit with fans across Nigeria and soon
enough, the rest of the African continent.
“They were
like 5 and 6,” reminisces Nkem Okafor, another blogger. “It was a
partnership like never before and they complemented each other so well,
they could almost pass for brothers”. This chemistry was reflected in
songs like Tongolo, Why Me and in the Curriculum Vitae and Entertainer
albums which showcased them at the peak of their partnership. Among
those also signed to the label were their siblings, KaySwitch and
D’Prince, who would remain at the periphery for years, as the crew
rotated around the two henchmen and another signing, Wande Coal. Good
things don’t last forever however, and so their partnership and by
extension, friendship came to a poignant end. As with everyone who gets a
whiff of success, D’banj was thirsty for more. After the initial frenzy
that greeted the duo’s international signing, the cracks began to
appear. Eventually, they split, citing irreconcilable differences and
betrayals. That may have signaled the descent of D’banj’s creativity,
because
while Don Jazzy has since set up Mavin Records and begun
lending his beats and those lovable hoarse vocals to various hits, all
his estranged partner has is a list of near-misses. The life and times of Daniel Anderson
What
went wrong? “Looking back, one is tempted to say that maybe D’banj
should never have rushed to sign with Kanye West,” says Aribaba.
“Musically, he hasn’t been the same since he jumped ship to G.O.O.D
Music”.
D’banj also fired his longtime manager,
Bankuli over an internal disagreement and signed on Mr. Tony Nwakalor,
former manager of both Olamide and Tonto Dikeh. With a reputation for
being overly arrogant, perhaps it was a perfect alignment. Arrogance
is widely known as one of the former Mo’Hits front man’s traits, and in
the period after his G.O.O.D Music deal, his ego grew accordingly. In
the grand scheme of things, D’banj’s personal quirks may not count for
much, but it disenfranchised the public and was likely one of the
factors that caused the change in his music fortunes soon after his
G.O.O.D Music deal.
First, the name on his social media accounts was
changed in May 2012 to Daniel Banjo Anderson, a name he confirmed during
an interview at Choice FM, London. It was immediately assumed that he
had acquired a superiority complex and the new identity was an attempt
to distance himself from his Nigerian roots. The bashing on Twitter only
increased when his Nigerian name returned to his bio and he claimed
that he had been hacked. Tempers rose again in
December of that year, when he apologized, albeit sarcastically, for
making fans walk several kilometers through the sands of Eko Atlantic
Beach to attend his Koko Concert (lightheartedly nicknamed the Koko
Trek). He was forced to apologize again on Twitter, properly this time,
citing overwhelming logistical failures as the reason for the trek. His
lack of a producer has also been advanced as the main reason for his
musical misfortunes. Since losing Don Jazzy, the kokomaster’s usual
coordination and delivery has been missing. The Jay Sleek-produced Oyato
came surprisingly close, but still lacked the production genius the
singer has been used to. He employed the services of DeeVee, a young
producer signed onto his label, but the formula is still lacking the
‘magic’ element.
An Abuja-based DJ speaking on condition of anonymity expressed his view:
“That
guy is finished without a producer like Don Baba J. Most of those who
call themselves producers today are just beat makers. Don Jazzy tailors
the beat to your strength and even he can’t blend with some artistes.” Falana
agrees. “I don’t think D’banj will ever be as great an artist without
Don Jazzy or Mo’Hits as he was with them. I’ve never thought he really
had much substance as an artist, but being the beast that he is, Don
Jazzy was able to make him look good. Plus they had good chemistry so
they were a powerful duo. They were made for each other,” she concludes.
Reunion & Rebirth
The
general notion is that if they were made for each other, then they can
find each other again. Last year, both men were pictured working in the
studio, alongside Maybach Music artiste, Wale and Olamide. It prompted
speculations that a reunion which would be mutually beneficial for both
parties could be underway. Popular OAP and brother-in-law to D’banj,
Dotun Orekoya alluded to this in a recent interview, saying
“I
believe that something might happen. The love is still there, no doubt
about it, and they have done music together regardless of whatever they
are doing. They are actually good in their own different industries. It
is entertainment and there is nothing we can’t see.” Falana,
obviously disappointed with the split, says, “D’banj is just
everywhere. Homie should just come back home. Mo’Hits is the answer to
whatever he’s looking for up and down. And frankly, I think the Mavins
might be missing some D’banj flavour”. Others flat out disagree.
“People
keep speaking of this false equivalence,” says music critic Emmanuel
Osanedum. “But it’s nonsense really. This is the truth: in the same
period within which D’banj released the ironically titled Don’t tell me
nonsense and others, all flops, Don Jazzy has owned the market.”
Indeed,
Osanedum may have a point. From Tiwa Savage’s ‘Eminado’ to ‘Surulere’,
the single which has become a viral sensation, there is no gainsaying
that when it comes to music D’banj is no match for his former producer.
Getting back together?
Critics
have argued that it might be hard for the ‘ailing’ superstar to survive
for the next decade in the music business without descending into the
dredges of obscurity. An A&R for a popular Nigerian music label
posits that this may not be the case. “Even though I’ve questioned his
relevance as an artiste a lot lately, I realize that we Nigerian
listeners love ‘unserious’ music and D’banj is just that. He is no
conscious artiste trying to save the world through music, so for that
reason, he’ll probably last – if he has the right team behind him”.
“What
keeps a musician famous and relevant is not all these celebrity moves –
it is the hit songs that keep the engine of fame running. Ask 2face,
ask Psquare,” said John Okonedo, a self-confessed audiophile and student
at the University of Lagos. “Unfortunately, D’banj’s head is so far up
his Bottom that he might not even see how fast he has gone into
darkness”.
That, we think, is the real tragedy, because the kokomaster’s talent, well managed, is truly in a class of its own.
