MTV RapFix: #D’Banj Steals Beyonce’s Thunder, Named America’s “King of Afro-pop” (Video)

Look people this has got to be ridiculous, if you are a Beyonce fan. Beyonce dropped an album this week and usually we would be inundated with Beyonce, but there is a shift. There is an African in town called D’Banj and all eyes are on or should be on him.

According to one media outlet, “All eyes are on Beyoncé, whose new album 4 arrived in stores this week. Without a massive hit and a premature leak, just how will the superstar fare on the charts? . . .”

While you ponder on that, meet D’Banj, officially. The newly named American “King of Afro-pop” stopped by MTV Rap Fix to “chop it up” with Sway. We are finally getting to know who he really is in the USA market and most importantly, HE IS ARTICULATE! Very big deal because you all know I said he has to be articulate so we Americans understand him without losing his “Africaness” or what makes him unique. See my article on the recent deal D’Banj signed with Kanye’s (Yeezy) GOOD MUSIC.

By the way, Yeezy just signed a music distribution deal with Island Def Jam. What does that mean? Before you watch the live stream of D’Banj’s appearance below (to be replaced with the video clip once made available), here is the quick gist of Kanye’s music distribution deal with Island Def Jam.

1. Kanye signs a deal with major record label Island Def Jam
2. This means Kanye submits all of his recordings and that of all of the artists on G.O.O.D music to Island Def Jam, since the deal is an exclusive deal. (This is all generally speaking because facts and agreement varies, depending on relationship of parties)
3. Island Def Jam essentially says, “Okeedokee Yeezy! You’ve done G.O.O.D. now let’s handle the rest.” Since they are a major record label, where do you think they go?

4. Island Def Jam goes to a major distributor that have supply chain logistics locked down. The distributor agrees per the agreement it has with Island Def Jam to ship “ginormous” amount of physical copies of all G.O.O.D music artists recordings (D’Banj included) to stores so you and I can buy, if it tickles our fancy. Music retail stores include  Tower Records, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Dimple records etc. As a distributor, Island Def Jam would also, especially in a digital age, include a clause in the agreement to distribute G.O.O.D music digitally.

NOTE: Older agreements did not anticipate the shift in digital distribution of music and we have seen a couple of cases on UDUAK LAW FIRM BLOG Fashionentlaw.com site where artists have  prevailed when they make the assertion that they never granted rights for sale of music digitally.

Now what? Well Kanye is not sitting “chillin’.” He’s got to get up and step on it with advertising, marketing and promotions of all his artists. We are trying to be and remain superstars here people.

Okay. Enough for now. “Wetin D’Banj sef do for MTV RapFix?” Translated to mean, what kind of “swag” did D’Banj bring to Rap fix? He definitely was on promo mode. Quick recap then check out the interview:

Sway & D’Banj addressed:

  • D’Banj singing to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music
  • How soon D’Banj was dropping an album
  • D’Banj’s experience working in the studio with Kanye
  • How D’Banj and Kanye met
  • Sway’s Nigerian/lack thereof heritage (Sway’s stepfather is Nigerian (Ibo))
  • D’Banj’s expanding fan base since he signed (from a large part of the 800million Africans on the continent to building fans in India, China and other parts of Europe)
  • The sensitive issue of the division between Africans vs African Americans
  • Social networking and its impact on Africa and fans
  • Sway also urged viewers to give D’Banj his new name, which they settled for “D’Banj King of Afro-pop”

Ever looking for an opportunity for a great media plugin, D’Banj delivers “gift from Africa.” And nope! It’s not a goat or a cow, yam or a bag of beans and rice or garri. It’s D’Banj’s own Kokomobile ready for use with AT & T or any sim Card. For good measure, he also added his DVD from his Koko concert at the O2 in London. We are living in a new world people, I tell you.

Good stuff. Enjoy the live streamed video below with a feature first of Kanye’s CyHi the Prince, then D’Banj.

Tags: MTV Shows

Cheers,
Uduak

Photocredit: Celebregion.com