Considering D Banj's achievements so far, I really don't understand the hate he has been getting of late in his own country; whether it is the Illuminati talk, or the envy, it really is not warranted. First of all, the whole illuminati talk is all fairy tale,
D Banj or even
Kanye West is not in any secret society called
Illuminati...even if there was this mythical secret society planning to "take over the world", they definitely wont admit a black man who is worth just a couple of million dollars. People just always make up things when they don't understand why an individual seem to be more successful than they can imagine.
So, what exactly has
D Banj achieved? He has done what no other Nigerian has been able to do. Of course, people don't understand that right now, because he is still at the baby stage, but what he has done has never been done before...at least by a Nigerian. I'm sure a lot of people are screaming right now- "what about
Fela?"..."what about
King Sunny Ade?"...what about this person or that person. All those musicians are definitely more talented than
D Banj, and more legendary, but they never were able to break into the International market the way
D Banj is going through with it.
Fela has been imortalized since his death, and has gotten more repsect and attention from the outside world than he got while alive. Even as great
Fela's world tour with the
Egypy 80 Band was back in the days, he never penetrated the international market to the point of having his music played on local radio stations in countries all over the world the way D Banj's
Oliver Twist is getting played. It is not just Europe, people in the Middle East and as far as the Caribbean have sad they hear
Oliver Twist played constantly on local radio stations.
Right now, some other people would be bringing up
Sade Adu's name...or
Seal, or
Wale or even
Taio Cruz; but what you have to know is that these people mentioned are first or second generation Americans, or Brits as the case may be. They were born in foreign countries (U.S.A and England), and became known making music related to those countries. They are no different from the Americans and Brits that we know in the international music scene; it's only their roots that tie them to Nigeria.
D Banj, although had a little unsuccessful stint in England with the JJC and 419 squard back in the days, became who he is today by making Nigerian style music, in Nigeria.
It was the local type of music he did that got him to be a super star, and that is what he imported to the world. I have to confess, when i first heard about Him and
Don Jazzy's signing to Kanye's G.O.O.D Music label, i immediately concluded that the signing had to really be about Don Jazzy, and that D Banj just got tagged in cos of Jazzy. But ofcos, at that time, i knew nothing of the part ownership of Mo Hits between the two...i knew nothing of the fact that D Banj had always been the financial muscle behind their whole movement. With that knowledge, and the fact that D Banj has that raw energy and enthusiasm to succeed in him, i now know nothing can stop him. As i always say- Talent is never enough. I know that from first hand experience.
So, what i'm talking about? Think about it, the outside world (America and Europe in particular) most times don't care for lyrics, all they want is something with some melody that can make them shake to the rhythm or nod to. And with
D Banj's style being foreign, i bet most of them would care less what he is saying. With the kind of energy and enthusiasm
D Banj has, he would find good international producers to work with, and being already signed to Island DefJam Records (In America) and Mecury Records in Britain, nothing can stop him from exporting our raw form of music to the world, and gaining international stardom. By the way, no Nigerian music artist has ever been signed to a Major label like Island Def Jam before...i mean, never has a Nigerian been signed to a major American label coming straight from Nigeria. And i am not just talking distribution deals like the legends of the past did; i'm talking being signed as an artist.
D Banj is already touring with his G.O.O.D Music family...opening concerts for English super star,
Rita Ora; hanging out celebrities like Ludacris, Kevin Hart, Common, and Jay-Z. And he doesn't have an inferiority complex; he sees them as equals. Why should he, when he is living the same lifestyle they live. Owning an
Aston Martin, and a
Bentley just from hustling your music in an African country like Nigeria is not moi moi. You have to give it to the kid. Actually, when i started reading and studying successful people is when i really started respecting him and his hustle. It takes more than talent to reach where he is right now...it takes big dreams...belief in self...committment to work, and a lot and lot of enthusiam. And he has got all these.
