Bankulli Explained

Bankulli
Birth Name:Abisagboola Oluseun John
Birth Date:24 December 1975
Birth Place:Lagos
Nationality:Nigeria
Known For:Bankulli Entertainment
Years Active:2001–present

Abisagboola Oluseun John popularly known as Bankulli or Osha, is a Nigerian music executive, A&R, talent manager, singer, and songwriter, pioneering the African pop culture.[1] [2] He is the founder and CEO of Bankulli Entertainment, known for housing recording acts, such as Basiil,[3] and Konstance.[4] He formerly served as the artiste manager of Mo' Hits Records,[5] one of Africa's defuncted recording companies owned by Don Jazzy, and D’banj. As a talent manager, he managed D'banj's solo career after Mo' Hits.

Bankulli has also worked with artists and producers around the world from Nigeria, the US, and the UK. In 2011, he worked on the collaborative studio project Watch The Throne, a 5× Platinum album created by Kanye West and Jay-Z. He went on to work with Kanye West on his sixth studio album Yeezus. In 2020, Beyoncé's [6] soundtrack album, was nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and earned him, a special recognition from The Recording Academy.[7] [8]

Career

Bankulli began his music career at R70, a UK-based entertainment company owned by Ayo Shonaiya, and DJ Abass, where he worked as an internship.[9] In 2019, Beyoncé released a soundtrack album titled , which Bankulli co-wrote two songs on the project alongside Beyoncé.[10] The album also earned him his first Grammy nomination for his songwriting credit on "Find Your Way Back", and "Otherside".[11] On 9 August 2019, Bankulli announced in a series of tweets about his documentary titled "Chronicles of Afrobeats" to be released soon, in the tweet he narrated how Don Jazzy became the first Afrobeats Music producer to represent the genre in the mainstream music scene in the U.S in 2011, to two greatest music genius of our time Kanye West, and Jay-Z, to how he ended doing vocals on two songs on Watch The Throne album.[12]

Discography

Collaborative eps

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"
DetailsPeak chart positions
NG
Journey Back Home[13] (with. Töme)
  • Released: 26 November 2021
  • Label: Bankulli Entertainment
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

As lead artist

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"
YearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
NG
NG
Afropop
[14]
SA
UK
UK
Afrobeats
US
Afrobeats
"Gbemiro" (feat. Wurld)[15] 2020rowspan="3"
"Gbemiro (Remix)" (feat. Hiro)[16]
"Foreign" (feat. Not3s)[17] 20216
"Ekorin"The Last Ship
"Iye"
"All My Life" (feat. MohBad, Basiil, & Konstance)[18] 2023

As featured artist

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"
YearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
NG
NG
Afropop
SA
UK
UK
Afrobeats
US
Afrobeats
US
R&B/HH
"Iyawo"
2021Best of Both Worlds: Side B
"Wedding Song"
The Wedding Album
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Production discography

Selected songs produced and songwriting credit

ArtistSongAlbumRelease dateCertificationsLabelNote
Jay-Z and Kanye West"Lift Off" (feat. Beyoncé)Watch the Throne8 August 2011Def Jam / Roc Nation \ Roc-A-Fella
  • Backup vocal
"Illest Motherfucker Alive"
Shatta Wale"Dancehall King"Answers (The Hybrid)14 March 2014SM4LYF Records
  • Executive producer
After the Storm29 April 2016Shatta Movement Music Production
Beyoncé"Find Your Way Back"19 July 2019Parkwood / Columbia
  • Co-writer
"Otherside"
Davido"Stand Strong" (feat. Sunday Service Choir)13 May 2022DMW / Sony
  • Vocal production for The Samples
Basiil"Vibration"I Know I Am2 June 2023Bankulli Entertainment
  • Executive Producer
"Come Alive" (feat. 4Korners)7 July 2023
Konstance"Melo"31 August 2023
"For You"1 December 2023
Basiil"Falling" (feat. Camidoh)Falling with My Idols1 December 2023
"Falling" (feat. Nonso Amadi)1 December 2023
"Falling" (feat. Ladipoe)1 December 2023

Selected albums produced

ArtistAlbumRelease dateCertificationsLabelNote
Jay-Z and Kanye WestWatch the Throne8 August 2011Def Jam / Roc Nation / Roc-A-Fella
  • Backup vocal credit
Kanye WestYeezus18 June 2013Def Jam / Roc-A-Fella
Beyoncé19 July 2019Parkwood / Columbia
  • Co-writer
Bankulli and TömeJourney Back Home26 November 2021Bankulli Entertainment
  • Executive producer
BasilI Know I Am21 July 2023
Shatta WaleKonekt[19]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Itodo . Sunny Green . International collaboration is the new crude oil – Music executive, Bankulli . Daily Post Nigeria . 17 December 2023 . 28 April 2023.
  2. Web site: African youths should be involved in Politics full-time, says Bankuli . The Nation . 17 December 2023.
  3. Web site: Eze . Chinelo . Basiil Steps Out With Vibration . The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News . 17 December 2023 . 22 June 2023.
  4. Web site: Charts . TurnTable . KONSTANCE DEBUTS HER EXCITING NEW CHAPTER AS SHE SHARES NEW SINGLE “MELO” . www.turntablecharts.com . TurnTable . 17 December 2023.
  5. Web site: Nigeria . Guardian . Bankulli: The Star Plug . The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News . 17 December 2023 . 22 December 2019.
  6. Web site: Soupamodel . D. J. . Meet the African Artists Beyonce Collaborated With For ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ . Billboard . 17 December 2023 . 25 July 2019.
  7. Web site: Bankulli, Juls Baby, Lil Nas X – Meet the Recording Academy Member Class of 2020 . BellaNaija . 17 December 2023 . 10 July 2020.
  8. Web site: Bankuli: Music, Grammy, and me . The Nation . 17 December 2023.
  9. Web site: Why I Left D’Banj —Bankuli . P.M. News . 17 December 2023.
  10. Web site: Report . Agency . Nigerian artiste, Bankulli speaks on writing for Beyoncé . Punch Newspapers . 17 December 2023 . 16 September 2019.
  11. Web site: Tayo . Ayomide O. . Review of The Lion King: The Gift album by Beyonce . Pulse Nigeria . 17 December 2023 . en . 19 July 2019.
  12. Web site: Bankulli set to Release “Chronicles of Afrobeats” Documentary . BellaNaija . 17 December 2023 . 9 August 2019.
  13. Web site: Alake . Motolani . Sound Sultan is immortalized on 'Journey Back Home,' by Bankulli and Tome . Pulse Nigeria . 17 December 2023 . en . 29 November 2021.
  14. Web site: Top Afro-POP Songs . TurnTable Charts . TurnTable . 5 March 2023.
  15. News: New Music: Bankulli feat. WurlD – Gbemiro . 17 December 2023 . BellaNaija . 24 April 2020.
  16. Web site: New Music: Bankulli feat. Hiro – Gbemiro (Remix) . BellaNaija . 17 December 2023 . 18 September 2020.
  17. Web site: Alake . Motolani . TolaniBaj of BBNaija and Bad Boy Timz feature in Bankulli and Not3s's new video for, 'Foreign' . Pulse Nigeria . 17 December 2023 . en . 22 January 2021.
  18. Web site: All My Life Lyrics by Bankulli Feat. Mohbad, Basil & Konstance . NotjustOk . 17 December 2023 . 29 November 2023.
  19. Web site: Bankulli produces Shatta Wale’s new album – Starr Fm . Starr Fm . 17 December 2023 . 13 October 2023.