The Mic On Podcast, hosted by Sha Kim Balo, featured an "unusual edition with an unusual guest" to delve into the journey of Dapo Oyebanjo, internationally celebrated as D’Banj, the Kokomaster. Mic On Podcast's standard focus is on "young Nigerians their journeys and how they win in different phases of life," a framework that perfectly illuminated D’Banj’s evolution from a music superstar with chart-topping hits like "Oliver Twist" to a "bonafide cultural icon and visionary". The conversation highlighted D'Banj's commitment to "building something even bigger": the CREAM platform. This interview allowed D’Banj to share his core philosophy, which began after a personal tragedy. Born in Zaria to military parents, D’Banj intended to join the army, but after losing his elder brother, an NDA student, in "one of the first plane crashes," his father prohibited anyone else from joining the military, causing D'Banj to switch his focus "from military to music". He notes that both paths share the same goal: "protect and serve".
Mic On Podcast recognized D’Banj’s enduring 20-year career, an anomaly in an industry where many "fizzle out" after just a few years. D’Banj clarified his identity, stating, "I never said I was a singer I never said I was a rapper I never said I was R&B person I said I'm an entertainer". This allows him to entertain without singing, confirming that "music gets you into the room but what you do when you get into the room is up to you". His spiritual roots are deep; his parents are a deacon and deaconess. He explains his famous moniker, the Kokomaster, is derived from the Yoruba word "Koko," meaning the bone of contention or highlight, asserting that he is the "highlight master anywhere I enter I must be the" highlight, with the "overall coco" being God.
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The transition into entrepreneurship was triggered by the breakup of Mo' Hits with Don Jazzy. D’Banj clarified that the decision to separate came from Don Jazzy, not him, and following the split, he decided against building another record label. He sought a "digital" platform that allowed him to mentor and support talent globally. This resulted in CREAM—Creative Reality Entertainment Arts and Music—a solution platform for "all creatives," set to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. Mic On Podcast noted that the platform "already connects millions of young Nigerians to opportunities". CREAM is described as the "first direct to fans do it yourself platform" in Africa, accessible via the simple MTN code star 463 harsh. D’Banj argues that foreign streaming models, which pay meager returns like "$400 for 1 million stream" in Nigeria, are unsustainable. CREAM allows creatives to sell tracks directly to fans for 200 naira, potentially yielding "200 million" from a million buyers.
Mic On Podcast highlighted D’Banj’s groundbreaking deal with AfrExim Bank to scale up cream platform across Africa". This is significant because AfrExim Bank is committing "$3 billion" for the creative sector, including $2 billion for music and film. D’Banj, who initially went to the bank seeking a loan, was instead offered an "equity play". The platform facilitates funding by establishing that the "biggest collateral is our intellectual property". CREAM vets and supports talent, providing financial institutions like the Bank of Industry with the data needed to fund them. The platform has already discovered talent like LeGb and Barry Tiger, who was discovered from the CREAM platform in 2021. The data shows that Zaria "actually has one of the biggest" number of users, demonstrating that artists "don't have to come to Lagos to get discovered".
When asked about his lowest point by Mic On Podcast, D’Banj stated that the breakup of Mo' Hits "did not move me at all at all". The singular event that broke him was "losing my son". This loss occurred shortly after CREAM had received a valuation from KPMG and was finalizing talks with investors. The experience ultimately "stretched" and "strengthened" him, leading to the birth of a boy and a girl and a better understanding of life and God. D’Banj confirms that "no plan for politics" is on his agenda, seeing himself as a "pace setter" focused on "solution". The Mic On Podcast concluded by noting the success of the creative industry, with Afrobeats being "global is at the same part if not bigger than the general" global music scene, a change achieved by creatives "contributing our quarter" and serving as the "visible hope" to the next generation.
