There was a time in Nigeria when no party started until you heard “Koko master!” from the DJ’s speakers. A time when his harmonica solos made crowds go wild and his cheeky grin was enough to light up every music video. Before the Gen Z Afrobeats revolution of Rema and Ayra Starr, there was D’banj and for almost a decade, he was the heartbeat of Nigerian pop culture.
This was the era before TikTok, before streaming numbers and algorithms. Back then, you had to feelan artiste’s impact through pure energy. D’banj gave that and more.
The Birth of the Kokomaster
Dapo Oyebanjo was not just another musician chasing fame. He was a showman born for the stage. After a short stint in the Nigerian Army school system and a move to the UK, he crossed paths with a young producer named Don Jazzy. The two would later form Mo’Hits Records in 2004 — a union that changed everything.
Their chemistry was unmatched. Don Jazzy crafted beats that were as smooth as silk and as bouncy as Lagos nightlife, while D’banj became the face, voice, and energy that brought it all alive. Together, they built something fresh, blending Yoruba humour, pidgin swagger, and infectious beats into what would later become the early sound of Afrobeats.
His debut single Tongolo dropped in 2004 and instantly caught fire. D’banj was cheeky, confident, and stylish, calling himself “The Koko Master” and making “The Koko” sound like the most desirable thing in the world. Fans loved him for it.
When the World Danced to His Beat
From Mobolowowon to Why Me and Suddenly, D’banj created songs that became part of everyday life. Why Me especially was everywhere. It played at weddings, in traffic, at clubs, and even at secondary school socials. His music cut across generations.
He was not just a singer. He was an entertainer in every sense of the word. He danced like he meant it. He spoke to his audience like they were friends. His stagecraft was electric. The minute he stepped out with that harmonica, the crowd knew something was about to happen.
By 2008, D’banj and Don Jazzy had turned Mo’Hits into the biggest label in Africa. With Wande Coal, Dr Sid, D’Prince, and K-Switch in the mix, every release became a national anthem. Then came The Entertainer, his third album came and it sealed his place as a cultural icon. It had hit singles like “Gbono Feli Feli”, “Kimon”, “Olorun Maje” and “Entertainer”
Beyond the Music
D’banj knew how to turn fame into a movement. In 2009, he launched Koko Mansion, a reality TV show on HiTV that had young women competing to be “Mrs Kokolet.” It was the talk of the town, the kind of pop moment that made him larger than life.
He signed endorsements with Glo, Power Fist, and later Bank of Industry. He became the kind of celebrity that crossed from music into lifestyle.
Then came Mr Endowed Remix featuring Snoop Dogg, which was obviously a game changer. It was one of the first real Afrobeats crossovers before the word even became mainstream. Suddenly, the world was looking at Nigerian music differently, and D’banj was right at the centre of it.
D’banj also had other Koko enterprise like Koko Garri which is a brand that makes processed cassava flakes.
Also, the singer had mentioned that Koko water was in the works, but it has not been launched.
His latest venture is Koko FC, a football club that officially launched in October 2024.
The Break and the Quiet Years
Then came 2012. Mo’Hits split. Fans were shocked. D’banj and Don Jazzy went their separate ways, and with that, an era ended.
D’banj signed with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, hoping to take Afrobeats global. It looked promising at first. Oliver Twist became an international hit, peaking on the UK Singles Chart and even earning a BET Award nomination. But soon, the soundscape changed.
Younger artistes like Wizkid, Davido, and later Burna Boy brought a new wave of more street, more digital, less flamboyant. D’banj’s signature confidence now felt like a reminder of a different time. He released singles like Emergency and It’s Not a Lie, but the world had moved on.
Still, D’banj never truly disappeared. He reinvented himself as a businessman, investing in agriculture and technology. He became a CREAM Platform ambassador, partnered with the Bank of Industry, and represented Africa at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
The Legacy He Left Behind
When people talk about Afrobeats today, they mention Burna Boy’s Grammy, Wizkid’s tours, and Rema’s streaming dominance. But few remember that before all these, it was D’banj who made African pop look and feel like a global product.
He made humour cool in music. He made performance an art. He was bold when everyone else played safe.
Today, when Rema jumps on stage or Ayra Starr flips her hair mid-performance or whines her waist to the beat, you can trace that confidence back to D’banj’s Koko era. The sunglasses, the smirk and the showmanship all started there.
Conclusion
Even if he is not everywhere the way he once was, the legacy remains. There is still something magical about hearing Suddenly or Fall in Love. Those songs carry the sound of a generation that danced without streaming platforms, that loved without algorithms, that lived for the joy of good music.
D’banj may no longer be the one filling up arenas, but every beat that moves Afrobeats forward carries a piece of his energy. Before Rema and Ayra Starr, there was D’banj and truly, he was everywhere.
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