How G.O.O.D is D’banj’s deal with Kanye West??

So the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album dropped last week amidst high anticipation. It is afterall in many ways, another Kanye West album. Add that to the fact that, another of the rappers in the G.O.O.D. music family is right now, one of the hottest rappers in the game (and charges a 100, 000 dollars a verse to prove it). Plus appearances from certified MCs like Pusha-T and Common, the talented Kid Cudi and ‘swervy’ Big Sean; the only thing Cruel Summer promised was quality music.

Now this is all well and good, but we on this side of the Atlantic were excited for another reason.  A five letter reason by the name of D’banj. In June of 2011, he and Don Jazzy were signed (the latter as a producer) by Kanye to the imprint, and it was the only thing people could talk about for days. Understandable. It had been a very long time since anything similar had happened. Not since Sunny Ade signed with Island Records in the 80s.

All Smiles; Don Jazzy, D'banj & Kanye

 So it was with bated breath that we awaited Cruel Summer.  Surely D’banj is going to be on the album. That long awaited collaboration is finally here. Maybe he’ll be on the same track with Kanye West and 2 Chainz. The thought alone made me giddy and I’m sure numerous Nigerian music lovers shared my sentiments. 

I wasn’t giddy when I finally got to hear the song though. The track is about 4½minutes long and D’banj moans for about 20seconds of it. Literally. Like a man in pain. To be honest, I was too shocked to be disappointed. Where’s all the ‘osheeeey’ and ‘mogbeeee’. At one point I was sure I had downloaded the wrong song.

Now, there are at least a couple of very sound (though contestable) reasons why D’banj doesn’t say anything on the record. He’s not a rapper. Getting in with the flow of the song might be a thing of difficulty. Then, maybe Kanye needs him to ‘make his bones’ first. In a musical sense, he might have felt he wasn’t ready. None of these reasons came to my head at that moment though.

My initial reaction was D’banj had downgraded. This kind of thing couldn’t have happened to him here, back home. Most of our artistes would still count it a privilege for him to grace their songs. Infact D’banj’s name on any track is certain to garner much attention. Regardless of the quality of it. That’s how big the Kokomaster is. Baba should have just chilled here and maintained his local champion. Because apart from label mates making a cameo appearance in ONE (1) music video, it looks like not much is happening for him.

Or does it? Only an uninformed or completely biased person would say D’banj hasn’t made great strides since linking up with Kanye & Co. First, his boss sets up a contract for him with Mercury Records (strictly a marketing and distribution deal, since he’s still on the G.O.O.D. Music roster) and then Bam! Oliver Twist debuts at No. 9 on the iTunes UK Hot 100. This is an impressive achievement for any artiste. For a Nigerian one, it’s simply astounding.

Oliver Twist @ No. 9

 

It doesn’t stop there though. The same song is played on a scene in Eastenders. For those who don’t know, Eastenders is one of the longest running TV soaps on UK television. The first episode aired in ’85 and they’re still on! With an average viewership of roughly 7million. That’s how big a following they have. That’s the size of the audience that heard Oliver Twist on what might be their favorite show.

Then there’s the Complex magazine feature and unquantifiable exposure he gets from being seen with his new buddies. Album Covers, Photo shoots, exclusive parties…and we hear a feature film is in the works. There’s no way D’banj Google searches haven’t quadrupled in the past few months.

Still……someone who is arguably Africa’s biggest star gets just 20 seconds on an album that runs for over 54minutes (and all he does is he moan throughout). Does Kanye hold his talent in such low regard? This might not be clear. What is clear though, is the Kokomaster’s objective. He’s looking for new territories to conquer. He knows he needs a bigger platform to achieve this. It’s even one of the reasons why he parted ways with his friend of over seven years. That’s how bad he wants it.

Patience is key here though. Few people know that Big Sean was actually signed five years before he opened his mouth on any record. Even to say ‘swerve’.

D’banj has opened his mouth 6months after getting a record deal. The next time he opens it, I’m almost certain that he’ll have more to say.

Album Art for Cruel Summer