Nigerian music legend, D’banj is restarting his career with a humble approach, referring to himself as a “new cat” in the industry.
Despite 20 years of experience, the 43-year-old singer feels like he’s just beginning, acknowledging the significant changes in the music business over time.
In an interview with Hip TV, D’banj revealed plans to collaborate with up-and-coming artists on his upcoming album, Entertainer, a follow-up to his 2008 hit album, The Entertainer. He expressed pride in paving the way for international collaborations and now wants to feature local talent, including Ayra Starr, Rema, Ruger, and Don Jazzy.
D’banj emphasized that collaboration is the new competition, signaling a shift in his approach to the music industry. This move marks an exciting new chapter in the veteran singer’s career, as he seeks to mentor and learn from the younger generation of artists.
In his words, “I am not the first [Nigerian artist] to have done an international collaboration. We were just the first to have done it the way we did it. Usually, when you want to do a collaboration with an international artist, it seemed before ours, like they were doing you a favour. But with the kind of grace that God gave us and the kind of team that we had, we were able to deliver one of the biggest [‘Mr Endowed’].“
“I think that actually gave hope and visibility to the kids [new artists] to know that they can do it. So, I feel like a very proud father if I may say. That’s why I am a cat again [up-and-coming artist]. Now, I want to feature not even international artists but local artists. I want to feature Ayra Starr, Rema, Ruger and Don Jazzy. Collaboration is the new competition,” He added.
