If you ask D’banj, he isn’t just an artist; he’s a light warrior determined to make you feel good by any song necessary. Before Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, or any of the artists currently pushing Africa’s diverse sound to the world, D’Banj was spreading it across the globe with the help of Snoop Dogg, Idris Elba, and Kanye West. From his 2005 debut album, No Long Thing, to his upcoming 20th anniversary project, The Entertainer: The Sequel, D’banj has seen how the best artists around the world create music with more than sounds and a mic.

“[Kanye and I] worked in Qatar on the Cruel Summer album together. We worked in South Africa, Cape Town and everything. Just like a coach, he sees the potential in everyone from Big Sean to Kid Cudi,” D’banj told REVOLT. “He made us understand that there's a reason why we were there. He saw something in us.”

In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” D’banj explained how he was able to make music in Nigeria during daily power outages, how he helped Elba create one of his earliest records, and how he’s going across generations to celebrate his 20th anniversary in the music industry. Read the exclusive below.

You’ve been recording music for over 20 years. Being from Nigeria, how has the recording culture and infrastructure evolved over that time?

Don Jazzy produced my whole first album and most of my early catalog. It was very interesting because we only had one major studio to go to because the focus back then was more on live bands. The kind of studios you’d see are the ones where you could bring your whole band and immediately create music. Prior to the kind of music we were doing, the generation before ours with Afrobeat, or Afro Juju or Fuji was music created with the band. It wasn’t like the way production is done now. We had maybe one or two proper, standard studios that we could create at. But then, a lot of mini studios were governed by the producers.

Now, an engineer can actually see you through a recording, even if you just get the beat from a producer. What I enjoy about creating music in Nigeria compared to any other part in the world is everything that comes around with it, from the sound of the cars on the street to the kind of food we have to the energy that you will get.

Your 2013 song “Won Da Mo” with Burna Boy was the first time many fans heard him. How was it making that record early in his career?

Back in 2013, a friend brought him to my house, and we connected almost immediately. He had a different record he wanted me to jump on called “Run My Race.” But my schedule took me out of town to South Africa, and I couldn't do it. As I was coming back into town, I remember reaching out and telling him, “I want us to do something because I missed the timing for the other one.” It worked perfectly because we ended up going to South Africa to shoot the video after we recorded the song here in Nigeria. We did the song in my studio in Lagos. Burna came, and I don't want to let you know some things that were going down in the studio (laughs). But, as the beat is playing, the song is playing, the thing is moving. That’s how we go. It was more of us freestyling that was very intentional.

You also did “Confidential” with Driis, better known as Idris Elba. He’s primarily known for his acting prowess. What can you tell us about his love of music?

Idris Elba has always been a brother. He actually hosted this annual event I put on called The Koko Concert in 2012. It was there that we connected. I already knew his background and that he loved music. He told me music is really, really, really, really his passion. Afterward, he sent me a record when he got back to the States. I recorded to it. Once we sent it back, he told me, “This one is it! We're going to release this.” I was like, “Yes, Luther! Let’s go!” (laughs).

You worked with one of the proudest artists ever, Kanye West, in the early 2010s on his track “The Morning” and your song “Scape Goat (The FIx).” Walk us through a typical session between you two.

I’ve been in the studio with Kanye West a lot of times. You cannot have a D’Banj and Kanye West session alone. It's Kanye West (laughs)! Kanye is such a genius. Since he's a producer and also an artist, I think he gets the best of both worlds. So, even before creating anything, he visualizes it as well. I remember the second time we met after we first met; it was very intentional. It was in the studio in New York. I think it was Jerry Wonda’s studio in New York. He had specific sounds he wanted to hear. I remember saying I couldn't believe how he remembered what he had heard in Dubai.

So, a typical session wouldn’t be a late-night session because he’s an early riser. When you're in the studio, the producers are there, and you could have five or six producers working on the same song. That's how Kanye is. What am I doing? I'm going crazy (laughs). I'm feeling the energy. That’s one of the things he also loves the most. We let a sound lead us because music is spiritual.

I remember when we were working on the Cruel Summer album, everybody was in the sessions. Kanye literally took over an entire floor of the Mercer Hotel. You had producers in different rooms working on the same song. I remember Don Jazzy was in one of those rooms. So that was the room where we always used to be in. Anytime Kanye came in, if he heard anything, he knew how to enhance the potential. I think one of his greatest gifts is to see something and then just blow it out.

Did he give you any of his famous Kanye speeches?

Yeah, but that is for me to know (laughs). We worked in Qatar on the Cruel Summer album together. We worked in South Africa, Cape Town, and everything. Just like a coach, he sees the potential in everyone from Big Sean to Kid Cudi. What I learned the most from Kanye is one thing he would always say, which was, “You are actually here to help me, not me to help you.” He never came into the studio like, “I'm Kanye West!” No, he made us understand that there's a reason why we were there. He saw something in us.

Not to shift to a somber topic, but you lost your son years ago. During that time, did you go to the studio to deal with the loss?

Oh, yeah. That’s a great question because I did. I remember the first song I recorded months after the incident was one dedicated to my wife. It was about how I felt and the energy of how much pain I know that she was going through, knowing the sacrifices that a mother goes through. I felt a need to connect with her and bring her to the metaverse of where I was. I created the song “What You Want” and released it. I wanted her to know that no matter what happens, I'm going to be there with her.

You mentioned that working in Nigeria is unique. Have you ever recorded through occurrences like power outages and protests?

There are power outages every day (laughs). You can be recording in the studio, and then the electricity goes out. Then, we have to turn on the generator. When we were much younger recording at a studio, we only rented for a certain amount of time; they’d turn off the generators, so you’d have to record all your lyrics early in the sessions (laughs).

What’s the rest of 2024 looking like for you?

The new era for me is celebrating 20 years of my start in music this year. I decided to work with specific people who are connected to my 20 years. Sixteen years ago, I released one of my best albums, which is called The Entertainer Volume One. In about a month’s time, we're releasing The Entertainer: The Sequel, which is also about 10 tracks featuring the greatest legends that have come from Africa. That includes a legend and a mentor of mine by the name of Youssou N'Dour, who is celebrating 40 years this year as I'm celebrating 20 years. I remember him back in ‘93 or ’94 being the first African that I saw winning a Grammy. I saw him do a record with Wyclef [Jean] in ‘96 or ’95. The song and video we did comes out as the next single leading to the album on the 19th of July.

Going back to 2004, we had a legend from Central Africa called Awilo Longomba who’s going to be on the album. We also have Akon on the album. I’ve also worked with a lot of Gen Z on the creation side, so I have Olamide Baddo as a co-executive producer on the album. He’s one of the biggest artists on the continent. We have Peruzzi on the album as well. He wrote “Unavailable” for Davido. That album comes out in August. For the deluxe, we are picking some of the greatest records that I’ve made and are remixing them, and then putting them out. Part of the album process includes a documentary. Reconnecting back to those people who are very important to the growth of Afrobeat and what it is today is special.