The Full Interview Below:
The Wrap Up: Hi D’Banj! Let’s get straight into it. How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t yet heard your music?
D’Banj: My sound is Afro-pop, meaning an African sound. I know a lot of people have heard of Afrobeat, but I like to say that Afrobeat was in the time of the late legend Fela Kuti. Just the way that music has evolved around the world, you can’t compare rap from the 90s with the rap we have now, you can’t even compare R&B from the 90s with the R&B we have now. So the Afrobeat of today, with my generation, I would call it Afro-pop. ‘Oliver Twist’ is Afro, but the sound is pop. Other colleagues of mine who are making music back home, you can’t call their music Afrobeat but it’s Afro-rap, Afro-hip hop, Afro-jazz, Afro-soul and some still do Afrobeat.
TWU: You’ve performed numerous times in the UK to sold-out arenas, but how does it feel to be the first African artist to headline mainstream festivals like Wireless and the Radio 1 Hackney Weekend?
D’Banj: I feel very honoured, I feel very privileged but I also feel very scared. I think I have to beg all of my fans to come out because, usually, I’m used to headlining major festivals but with my African people. I’m looking forward to it and I’m begging all of my fans to come out and support because this is a big moment for everybody, not just for me. I just hope the UK fans will be pleased with the kind of sound that they’re going to hear and those who’ve never heard us before, I hope they’ll be won over.
TWU: Is there anyone on the line-up that you’re looking forward to hearing?
D’Banj: Definitely! Well, I’ve watched most of them but just in a different continent, like when they’ve come to Africa to perform. I’d like to see Nicki MInaj on stage, Tinie Tempah and I’d like to see Rihanna – everyone knows that I like Rihanna! (Laughs) Obviously, I’d like to see Jay-Z and even people whose sound I haven’t heard, like Chase & Status. I’d like to hear some drum & bass! I know I’ll look odd, but music is so universal and speaks to everybody.
TWU: You’re known for your love of the ladies, so what does it take to be a kokolet?
D’Banj: A kokolet is a well-endowed woman with good intellect, I believe. That means not just a pretty face and someone who knows what they want and has a mind of their own. Growing up, people asked me, ‘What’s your definition of an ideal woman?’ I’ve seen that has changed with time, and now I’m more affected by what someone has got up there to offer.
TWU: Your current single, ‘Oliver Twist’, is out now. Why do you think the West is now taking interest in African artists?
D’Banj: I think the world is interested in Africans in general now, not just on the music side of things. For the last five years, from the oil and gas industry to the capital and banking industry, you see a lot of banks that are in Africa now coming here and to America to open because the world is bigger than just continents, it’s now one. It’s the same thing with the music. After meeting Kanye West in Dubai, with him inviting me over, a lot of people started coming over to Nigeria to come and pick acts. The world likes something different and new, we’ve been left out of the scene for a long time but what’s good about it is that now that everybody has gone everywhere, Africa looks like it’s doing something brand new. I remember when I first found out that they wanted to release ‘Oliver Twist’ again; I was like, ‘Ah! Ah! That came out last year in Africa and it did over 330,000 downloads in the first three days.’ I’ve had people even tell me that I should bring out my last album, ‘The Entertainer’, all over again and call it ‘The Entertainer Repackaged’. The Western world can hear and know the tunes like ‘Fall In Love’ and ‘Suddenly’ because they were massive songs and have someone like Rihanna or Cheryl Cole sing on ‘Fall In Love’. The fact that people already think that it’s possible shows that it can be a big thing. I’m just begging for people to have an open mind and accept
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