Over the past few months, Pop star D’banj, music career has been question by music lovers, music pundits and media as well.
Ever since his separation from his longtime friend, business associate and producer Don Jazzy, he had releases over 8 tracks excluding his ” D’ Kings Men” compilation album with his label mates and others affiliate artists .
Over the past 3 years now, he has drop tracks such as Oyato, Bachelor, Cash Flow, Don’t Tell Me Nonsenses, Alaye, Feeling The Nigga and his remix with Akon and many others, but it only the Don’t Tell Me Nonsenses and his remix of his ” Feeling The Nigga” with Akon, are the only tracks that have good review among Nigerians music lover and music reviwers.
His various effort to made a hit songs over the years has been question by social media publicist and writer Joy Isi Bewaji, calling him to quit music for others business.
In fact, she made a bold claim that the music star is “incapable of making a hit song.” After I read her piece, all I could think of was, “Joy has it completely wrong.”
Because he ( D’banj) is a pacesetter for Africa music, because break the barriers for others acts in black continent. He his an influential personality from this soil, that also did not forget where is coming from.
Should D’Banj quit music? In my own view — absolutely No. Is he incapable of making a hit song? Of course Yes and No. What absurd statements, on all fronts.
To be frank with you D’banj, is struggling with his music career, but he can still make it right back once again as the era of his Mo Hits days.
He might be struggling with his music career now, but he need to rediscover his lost glory in naija and Africa music scene.
— His lyrics is poor and he need to put more effort on his content, because in music ” CONTENT ” is king. Maybe he can hire good ghost songwriter in this area.
— He need to understand what kind of songs naija music lovers consumes now.
— He need to move his game further, because what works for him in the era of Mo Hits Records cannot work again.
He need to re-strategist himself with clear vision ahead of music career and D’banj Brand.
— He need to far away from mediocre and sycophancy people, he need people who will criticize his work and real people who will pure their minds that what he doing is totally wrong. He need to bring best out of bad and good review on him.
— It is right time he need to move away from beat maker, what he need right now is producer that know his ability and who can also bring best out of his strength and talent.
On Whether to Quit Music or Not?
D’banj, is our Africa poster boy to the world, because his strength and charisma will determine where Africa music will be in the next 5 years.
His clear vision of selling Africa music to the world, because he is a pace-setter for Africa music industry.
For him quitting the music now will be a huge blow to the fast growing Africa music, because he is one of the influential stakeholder that will take the Africa culture and art to the next level.
He break barrier for Africa act in international music scene such as first act to collaborate with good relationship with American singer ( Mr Endowed Remix Ft Snop Dogg) , record-breaking music distribution deal with Def Jam, Mercury Music, Universal Music and his recording deal with Kanye West‘s ” G.O.O.D Music ” and not to forget his mouthing -watering endorsement deal with Apple Inc’s Beat by Dre electronics head phone.
The last of my view is that he is a permanence which will still need to entertain us and also he belong to the stage.
Let me share the view from Ms. Uduak with You.
Let me put it this way. I have had the privilege of watching America’s Beyonce up close and personal (three arms length away from her) as she performed to an audience at an awards event in Los Angeles. I have equally had the same close proximity to observe D’Banj perform to an audience here in the States. I believe, after observing both (live and of course numerous times on television like everyone else), that what D’Banj brings to the stage with his performances match the same energetic cadence as Beyonce’s. D’Banj is a performer, an entertainer who takes to the stage like fish takes to water.
D’Banj belongs on a stage and he is quite frankly too young to retire anytime soon. While D’banj certainly has his challenges right now, perhaps caused by a lack of clear vision/losing his vision, I don’t believe it gets in the way of his ability to be the entertainer he is and will always be, and also make a hit song.
Quit music? I think not. Should he morph and mature as a musician i.e. innovate when it comes to his music and his live performances? Yes. D’Banj has grown and so has a large majority of his audience. The only thing missing is his ability to communicate that growth so he can bring his audience along to his new phase in life. In due time, I believe that will also come. He is indeed allowed to stumble and figure his way to a new and more mature sound and style for his now mature audience.
This is the open letter penned by publicity and writer Joy Isi Bewaji.
Dear Dbanj, this is NOT a love letter by Joy Isi Bewaji.
I thought we had passed this phase of Dbanj’s career? Sizing up his phallus, suggesting sexual machismo, endorsing chauvinism and being a general nuisance?
For all of his self-proclaimed virtues, we now know Dbanj is incapable of making another hit song. It’s like losing your wife and realising all those years of “great sex” was untrue, because the minute she left and you hooked up with another woman, she tells you- without the advantage of love- that your skills are lame.
Dbanj has struggled. Oh dear! Every song- and you can see that he lost sleep, sweated blood, outdid himself, and upped his braggadocio, STILL a hit track has eluded him like sanity eludes the streets of Lagos.
The problem is not that he cannot save his music, the problem is he IS trying to save it.
Let it go, KOKO master. That thing, unfortunately, is limp.
Fortunately there’s more to his brand than music. Leave Olamide to thrill Lagos fans even without opening his mouth, it is his time. You, Dbanj, lost it when you lost it.
It is time to reinvent the enigma that you are.
You are Dbanj. For whatever reason you will continue to be relevant for as long as you realise music is not where it is going to happen. See what these small-small boyz are doing to King MI, for instance, messing up his palace with graffiti having more punch than his best lines.
It is hard out here, bro. So take advantage of what you have:
You have the looks (at least women like what they see), you have charisma, you have good style, you know some of the biggest names from oil to corporate Nigeria to politics, you have dated their daughters. You have a standing and clout in social crowds.
Dear Dbanj, it is time to reinvent you. Enough of these idiotic dance steps.
It is time to become a media mogul, forget one-one kobo songs, leave it to the talented. Focus on your Koko phones, Koko garri, Koko pure water- exporter/importer tinz.
Get into fashion, get a Mai Atafo to build a fashion label around your brand and get that friend of yours- Kanye West to wear one of your samples. Then send another one to that other dude that keeps sending you gifts from France. Send another to Big Sean. Use your networks well.
What else? Start a proper music business. Get two hot artistes and invest in their music. Let them sing what you left inside Don Jazzy’s mouth. Be the boss.
Dbanj, it is time to be the Bawse! This has been true for P.Diddy (aka Sean Puffy Combs)
Can Diddy sing? No!
Can he rap? Hell NO!
Is he richer than many Americans and their unborn kids? YES! YES!! YES!!!
I might not be a fan, but I liked your shoes at your first MTV Award event some years back. That should count for something.
So here’s wishing all the best.
And hopefully, we do not see you in this state of hopelessness, hoping to woo the crowd by all means ever again.
Credit: Joy Isi Bewaji & Ms. Uduak