We met D’banj at his Koko Lounge last week, having waited for hours; where he eventually opened up to Alonge Michael about his new deal with Kanye West’s Good Music, Jay Z and his relationship with Genevieve. The Mo’Hits crew has, no doubt, created a niche for itself in the Nigerian Music Industry and now the group has signed a merger with the international record label, Good Music owned by Kanye West, the international hip-hop star. D’Banj, the co-owner of Mo’ Hits records, unarguably, has turned a ‘super-superstar’ overnight as this merger which was signed on Kanye’s Birthday, June 8th, is now yielding positive result and the group, courtesy Don Jazzy and D’banj, have tried to take Nigerian music to the Global world. Obviously, this international collabo has brought the entire members of Mo’ Hits crew more fame and fortune. Read on…
YOU HAVE ATTAINED A HEIGHT THAT NO ONE HAS EVER REACHED IN A LONG TIME; WHAT IS THE SECRET?
It’s just God, hard-work, believing in Him and following your dreams. So the secret is God nothing more.
THERE ARE MUST BE SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE APPLIED PERSONALLY ASIDE GOD?
I’m very positive and more importantly I invest in myself. People may call it any name, it’s what I believe that I believe, so it’s always good to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. However, it’s still God.
YOU ARE A WELL CELEBRATED ARTISTE BUT WHEN WILL YOU SETTLE DOWN?
(Pause) when I find the right person. I can marry when I see the right person to marry.
YOU’VE GOT THE RIGHT PERSON?
No!
HOW ABOUT GENEVIEVE?
We’re not….why do you people keep calling Genevieve, that’s a long time we’ve even got over that but basically am still single and searching now.
HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THE RIGHT PERSON?
If I see her, I will know.
MY MAMA IS A WIDOW, MAYBE YOU CAN COME FOR HER, CAN YOU TRY HER OUT?
Your Mama, no! I won’t do that, what for! You’re not serious…ah ah ah, oh my God!
SO, WHAT IS THE GREATEST MISTAKE YOU HAVE EVER MADE?
I don’t think it’s greatest, I make mistakes but none can be stated to be greatest. One mistake I have ever made…I am trying to remember…to me everything that I have done has come out to be a success, even the ones I think they are mistakes, there are still something good that still come out of them.
IN THE CAUSE OF UNFORESEEN DISASTERS, WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU?
Obviously I will start from where I meet yourself, you re-arrange now. We meet obstacles everyday, I have been trying to reach this stage for years and assuming I didn’t feature Snopp Doggy I would have featured someone else. If you like take everything I have from me, as long as I have my life, I will start all over again because good name is better than silver and gold and I’m D’banj till kingdom comes.
WITH YOUR PRESENT STATUS, IT’S OBVIOUS YOU WON’T HAVE TIME FOR GOD; WHAT’S YOUR VIEW?
Who say so and moreover God is everywhere. I can serve Him in any country that I find myself, He understands the nature of my job and I know He will answer me in any part of the world I call Him.
HOW RELIGIOUS ARE YOU?
I can’t tell you how close I am to God because it’s only Him that knows but I have a relationship with Him and when I talk to Him He answers me. I told Him I wanted a breakthrough, He did, I said I wanted a collabo with this and that, He made it possible, an MTV Award, He gave me and He has never given me what I don’t like.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT YOU SEARCHING FOR A WIFE?
Of course.
WHY HASN’T HE ANSWERED YOU SINCE HE ANSWERS YOU IN EVERYTHING YOU DO?
Who says He hasn’t, you never know when it comes to relationship, your best friend might be your wife and you might still be searching. Like when I met Don Jazzy he wasn’t my friend but now he is my best friend and that was about 10 years ago, it might be a person that I have dated before or a new person but I believe God will do it at the right time.
DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU FINALLY GET MARRIED; YOU WILL CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE?
I don’t know, I don’t think about that because my dad never cheated on my mum and I think he is one of the most faithful human being I know.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO FOLLOW HIS FOOTSTEPS?
I’m not planning to but I came from him, I must have something in common with him and when I get married I will know but right now I don’t.
YOU ARE DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE TO THE D’BANJ THAT SINGS?
I’m Gemini, for me I know Showbiz is an act so you act it, when I came people were like Koko was sex but I didn’t say Koko was sex but they decided to affiliate the word to some other things and we gave them what they wanted but deep down I still defecate and pee like you.
BUT SOME PEOPLE RELATE YOU AND YOUR MUSIC TO SEX?
Those are the people that listen with one ear and they forget to hear my other good music; people just say whatever they want to say and I’m tired of convincing people and if they take their time to listen to the ballads they would know I’m an entertainer and that doesn’t mean people like me does not know what they are doing.
HOW DO YOU RELAX CONSIDERING YOUR TIGHT SCHEDULES?
I love movies especially series, sometimes I play games with friends and I also go to Koko Lounge to unwind.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU DON’T WATCH THESE MOVIES WITH JUST YOUR MALE FRIENDS ALONE…
Well, that’s left for you to judge, you can fill in the gaps….
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR FEMALE FANS?
I don’t really have much female fans.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN GIRLS THROW THEMSELVES AT YOU?
They are usually prevented and I don’t get to see them because my people around me don’t let them get to that extent and if I get to like you then something might go down. That’s now left for me to decide…
DO YOU WANT TO TELL ME THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND YOU RELAX WITH AFTER A HECTIC SHOW?
No, I don’t but I don’t tell you that I don’t f**k.
SOME SAY YOUR STYLE IS NOT NATURAL, THEY THINK YOU DO DRUGS?
That’s what I also hear that I crack and smoke weeds too but ask my father, I was born like this, I mean very hyper. Anytime I try to drink something like Hennessy I was so dull and I’m a very lively person. Some say it’s when am high that I use glasses, it’s a lie, check my eyes out. (He removes glasses)
WHERE DO YOU GET INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR SONGS THEN?
From you, everywhere, from God, my environment etc, they all form my sense of inspiration.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED?
In life nobody wants to help and that’s why you need to keep your faith in God and that is why I don’t believe in anybody but God.
AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL THIS, WHAT EFFORTS ARE YOU MAKING TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION NOT TO ENCOUNTER WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH?
That’s why when I got to America I didn’t take their money but I signed and I moved, I did that to create a structure that my people will not need to beg. No one believed in us until now and in the next two months you will see a collaboration and from there everybody will start doing it because we are pioneers, we have already made it happen.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WINNING THE BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION AWARDS?
I don’t know and I don’t think I was nominated because of my collabo with Snopp, in fact, I was once nominated with Tuface in MOBO Awards and he won it but now levels have changed but we still don’t know the criteria that they are using to choose, if they give it to me based on that I will appreciate God the more but I want them to give it to me based on the fact that I have worked very hard.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF ACTING IN ANY LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL MOVIE?
They have given me a lot of roles to play that I have turned down except I own the movie and am not ready for that at this moment of my career. I am concentrating on my musical career first, once that is sealed as it has been sealed now, then, I can now consider appearing in Nollywood or Hollywood.
