Bankulli

Abisagboola Oluseun John (born 24 December 1975), known professionally as “Bankulli”, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.^[2] Born in Lagos, his work as a talent manager has increased his influence across both Afrobeats and Afropop across the world. He helped build Mo’hits Records, one of africa's defunct record label with the co-founders Don Jazzy, D’banj,^[3] Wande Coal, D'Prince, K Switch etc on its roster. Bankulli subsequently managed D'banj's solo career for a while. Bankulli is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and Grammy nominated via Beyoncé’s The Lion King 2019, the gift album project.

Bankulli has also worked with artists and producers from Nigeria, the US and the UK.^[4] In 2011. He worked on the collaborative studio project “Watch The Throne”, created by hip-hop moguls Kanye West and Jay-Z. The album was released by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. He also worked on Kanye’s sixth studio album 'Yeezus'. Both projects are certified platinum.  

Music career[]

1990–2010: Early life and career beginnings[]

Bankulli was born in Surulere, a residential and commercial area of Lagos, that is associated with famous celebrities like Wizkid, OJB Jezreel, Tade Ogidan, Bukky Ajayi, Desmond Elliot etc^[2]. After graduating from the University, Bankulli joined R70, a UK-based entertainment company owned by two Nigerians, Ayo Shonaiya and DJ Abass for his internship. R70 developed content and creatives for BEN Television on Sky UK and was the first to put together a Nigerian Urban concert in the UK.

The Lion King: The Gift Album with Beyonce[]

Bankulli also featured^[5] in three songs (3, 4 & 21) on The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack alongside Beyoncé, Wizkid, Blue Ivy that premiered in July 2019.^[6] Bankulli is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and Grammy nominated via Beyoncé’s The Lion King 2019, the gift album project.

Watch the Throne Album: Collaboration with Kanye West and Jay Z[]

Back when he was managing D'banj, they had a chance meeting with Kanye West at the airport in Dubai. That meeting led to D'banj getting signed to Kanye's GOOD Music. Kanye West would later feature in the video for Oliver Twist, the hit single that contributed to the rise of Afrobeats into a global phenomenon, a story which he tells more of in his upcoming documentary.^[7]

Bankulli also gets name credit for his vocals on the Watch the Throne album, a collaborative studio project by Kanye West and Jay Z released on August 8, 2011. The critically successful album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 436,000 copies its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, as of June 2012, had sold over 1.5M copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. He also worked on Kanye West’s sixth studio album, ‘’Yeezus’’ which was released on June 18, 2013, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings.  

Bankulli with Kanye West and Jay-Z

A&R career[]

Of the multiple positions he has played in the industry over the years, it is his role as an A&R that he now holds very dear, where he is saddled with championing the artistic and commercial development of the recording artist. His many duties include him being responsible for the direction of musical creatives and acting as a liaison between the artist and the label, available to put down his wealth of experience to oversee the entire recording process and even afterwards and assisting to facilitate grand networking within the hard-core of the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

Personal life[]

Bankulli was born in Surulere, a residential and commercial area of Lagos^[1], that is associated with famous celebrities like Wizkid, OJB Jezreel, Tade Ogidan, Bukky Ajayi, Desmond Elliot etc^[2]. After graduating from the University, Bankulli joined R70, a UK-based entertainment company owned by two Nigerians, Ayo Shonaiya and DJ Abass for his internship. R70 developed content and creatives for BEN Television on Sky UK and was the first to put together a Nigerian Urban concert in the UK.  

References[]