MOBO Award and 4x MTV Africa Award winner D’Banj is set to release his follow up to the ¼ million selling top 10 smash ‘Oliver Twist’. Forthcoming single ‘Bother You’, inspired by the film Half of a Yellow Sun will be released on 7th April by via Universal imprint Mi7 Records and D’Banj’s label DKM.
Widely credited with revolutionising African pop culture with his distinctive musical style, D’Banj has had stratospheric success. Having collaborated with some of Hip-Hop’s biggest names including Kanye West, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Common and Tinie Tempah while the likes of Idris Elba, Rio Ferdinand and Estelle continue to sing his praises, D’Banj has also sold out headline shows at Hammersmith Apollo for four years consecutively in addition to wowing crowds at some of the UK’s most prominent festivals (Wireless, Radio 1 Big Weekend). His first UK single, the anthemic ‘Oliver Twist’, was released through Kanye West’s GOOD Music label.
And now, through a joint venture with D’Banj’s own label DKM and Mi7 Records (through Universal), new single ‘Bother You’ is set to emulate and exceed the success of ‘Oliver Twist’. Inspired by bestselling novel Half of a Yellow Sun; the video features footage from the critically acclaimed film adaptation starring Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and BAFTA award winner Thandie Newton (soon to be released in the UK). Producers of the film Yewande Sadiku/Andrea Calderwood (Last King of Scotland) commented “Half of a Yellow Sun is a film which we want to move everyone who sees it, and to touch people no matter where they are in the world. We’ were excited when D’Banj first sent us his new song Bother You, telling us he had been inspired to write it after seeing Half of a Yellow Sun. It’s been a few weeks since we first listened to the song and we still find ourselves humming to it several times throughout the day”.
Far from a newcomer, D’Banj is not only a household name throughout his native of Nigeria, but one of Africa’s biggest stars. Certified as the continents highest grossing live artist, regularly playing electrifying shows to crowds in their tens of thousands, D’Banj has also amassed over 11 million albums to date. Not content with his own music career alone, D’Banj is also an accomplished entrepreneur, with an array of successful ventures including a breakfast cereal, bottled water, clothing line, reality TV show and even a mobile phone network under his belt.
Also widely known for his philanthropic efforts, D’Banj is the founder of ‘Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development’ and is Nigeria’s first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace. Most recently, D’Banj has been teamed up with Bob Geldof and U2’s Bono and been appointed as their One Campaign’s African Ambassador.