HAVE D'BANJ AND WANDE COAL DECLINED SINCE THEY PARTED WITH DON JAZZY?

There have been speculations from most music critics that these two music stars have declined in their respective careers since they left the legendary producer and musician, Don Jazzy who was their first boss in the entertainment industry. Have D'banj and Wande Coal not been giving out hit songs to their fans since they parted from Mo'Hit? Have they been retrogressing in their careers in terms of achievements since they became on their own. Well, at the end of this article which I wrote without any atom of sentiment, you shall produce the answers to those controversial questions.

Let us look at these artists respectively, their careers before and after they left Don Jazzy.

Wande Ojosipe, a.k.a Wande Coal, is one of the best vocalists we have in this country. The singer and songwriter who grew up in Mushin Lagos, has been in the Nigeria music scene since 2006. Off course, most of his colleagues who started with him have gone underground but Wande Coal has come to stay. Nevertheless, it is believable that his career started declining after he left Don Jazzy. It is good to note that the youngster who was instrumental to encouraging the likes of Davido and Wizkid to pursue their passion for music like most great musicians started singing in the teenage choir at his church. He got his break in the Nigerian entertainment industry as a dancer. He continued improving on his vocals skills and got signed officially to Don Jazzy's Mo'hits records in 2010. But he has been with them since 2006. He featured on D'banj's Rundown/Funk you up album, on singles such as "Loke", "tonosibe" and "why me". Being signed to Mo' Hits records, he was also a member of the Mo' Hits all-stars and played a major role in the released CV (Curriculum Vitae) album. His first single of the CV album, "Ololufe", has been described as one of the greatest love songs ever written by a Nigerian. Wande Coal later released his debut album 'Mushin to Mo'Hits which was widely received across Nigeria, UK and the USA.

In 2011, the label broke out of irreconcilable difference. D'banj went his way to establish his DB Records. Don Jazzy reorganised and started The Mavin Record. He was with Don Jazzy until 2013. He later came up with his own label which is known as Black Diamond. Fondly called ‘Black Diamond,’ He has done a lot of songs but his songs were no longer as trending as they used to when he was with Don Jazzy. The former Mo'hits artiste took six years to release another album. Out of the 18 track Album, the only songs that made wave are Wake Up which he featured Flavour and Ashimapayin. A lot of people have said that Wake Up was big because of Flavour who gave the song flavour. Wande Coal was in Patorankin's My Woman,My Everything. In an interview with a national daily he explained how he parted with Don Jazzy: "I was with Mohits and the company dissolved in 2011, then, I was left alone to choose where to go. Either to go with Dbanj or Don Jazzy. I just moved with Don  Jazzy  because we  had bonded, It’s not that I didn’t like Dbanj but I just had to move with Don Jazzy because he is a producer and I am a singer. I moved with Don Jazzy without contract. It was based on love and I had no contract. At some point I wanted to be in charge of my own creativity and have my own personal growth .I have been working with Don Jazzy for a while and I wanted to give other people the opportunity to produce my music. It takes time. I left Don Jazzy in 2013"

He got so many awards while still with Don Jazzy. Take a look at his awards:

NEXT RATED: HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2008.

NAIJA'S FASTEST RISING SUPERSTAR :UNIPORT AWARDS 2008

DYNAMIX YOUTH AWARDS : 2009-SONG OF THE YEAR.

BEST AFRO HIP HOP VIDEO :NIGERIAN MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (NMVA) 2009

AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR – GHANA MUSIC AWARDS 2010 [14]

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR – 2010 HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS [15]

BEST R&B/POP SINGLE – 2010 HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2010> HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS SONG OF THE YEAR 2010 HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS

HIP HOP REVELATION OF THE YEAR 2010 : HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS.

BEST RHYTHM AND BLUES SINGER OF THE YEAR 2009: CITY PEOPLE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2010 :CITY PEOPLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY 2010: CITY PEOPLE

ARTIST OF YEAR 2010:  CITY PEOPLE MAGAZINE

He also got many endorsements from popular brands like Glo.

But since he left Don Jazzy, he hasn't got any award or endorsement. The young Marvin artists are taking over everything he would have got. Practically all the Don Jazzy artists have one endorsement or the other, with awards here and there. This must be the main reason many people believe Wande Coal should have been bigger than he is now with Don Jazzy. Apart from Ashimapayin, he hasn't made any single that made wave. He couldn't even get a nomination in the 2015 Headies awards, but virtually all the Marvin Crew had nominations.

Now, let us look at the Koko Master, Dbanj

Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (popularly known as D'banj, born 9 June 1981) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and entrepreneur. He has won several music awards, including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009, Best International Act: Africa at the 2011 BET Awards. A lot have argued that his career has declined after his brake up with Don Jazzy. Many are of the opinion that he has been doing well internationally even more than Don Jazzy. Most people have said that he is just a business man who couldn’t produce a hit song after he left Don Jazzy. Of course, after their parting in 2011, D'banji got so many achievements including award for Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards, and Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Music awards. His show which marked his 10 years on stage was also a hit last year. Below are other achievements of Dbanj without Don Jazzy.

He Re-signed a better deal with Globacom

He won world music awards

His song "Top of the world was the AFCON theme" and was performed at the AFCON 2013 closing ceremony held in South Africa.

He also performed at the Hackney Weekend to celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was headlined by Jay-Z and Rihanna

He was also selected as the Ambassador of Bank of Industry)He was signed to Mercury Records

He became the ambassador for BEATS by dre.

His song "Bother you" was the official sound track of Half of the Yellow sun movie

He also went into partnership with Sony Music Entertainment

He also headlined Hennessy Artistry 2013 alone which also gave him the opportunity to travel to France to make his own brand of Hennesy(Legendary)

October 2015, he was endorsed by SLOT. Meanwhile, last year he featured Akon in his song titled Frosh. He also had Remenece and South African Singer, Casper on his song, The King. Apart from his single, Emergency, his collabo with Ice Prince, Salute came out well. But none of all these songs received massive audience hype like The Mavins crew songs like Dorobucci, Godwin and others.

Having said these, you can now agree or disagree that Dbanj and Wande Coal have declined in their respective careers since they left Don Jazzy.