For African Youth, Prettyboy D-O Revolutionised Punk.
Key Sentence:
- Known for calling for police brutality and guarding the music industry.
- The Nigerian pop star is at the forefront of fashion, music, and visualization – here, she reveals why her latest album is a declaration of peace.
With Prettyboy D-O, we stare. It’s a terrific Tuesday afternoon in Lagos, and it’s the first time in weeks that the Nigerian pop star has caught his breath. Since June, he’s been touring the world, hoping to organize parties in some of the world’s biggest cities – London, LA, New York, Paris – to listen to his upcoming album Love Is War.
He was in Stockholm yesterday to record with some African Youth Prettyboy Swedish producers. And now he’s back in London, where he has a face-to-face conversation with me via a Google Meet call.
-Hmm-D-O muttered while tilting his head slightly and looking at me through my laptop screen. He finally gave in, and his pursed lips immediately turned into a hideous smile. “And why should I call myself a rebel, if I may ask?” Then, again, he smiles, a question that comes across as sarcastic considering his whole personality is an unbridled challenge to the status quo.
After declaring himself one of the brightest rising stars on Nigeria’s ancient scene in 2017.
His unorthodox fashion choices and gritty lyrical themes have earned him fame as an artist who deliberately goes against the grain. But Donald Ofik-born artist, prayed for a difference. “I had to establish myself and create an identity that will not be forgotten,” he explained. “I’ve always been honest with myself; I always knew that I was different. And people might call him a rebel, but that’s me. I’m a rebel if that means being confident. “
Rebel or not, D-O remains one of the most exciting figures in Nigerian music. Thanks to his lively personality and eccentric demeanor. However, last year, during a live Instagram chat with African Youth Prettyboy musician Alti Odunsi (The Engine). DO viciously caught the nation’s attention with a usually intensely inflammatory speech against Nigerian music owners and a bad mood, calling for a symbolic fire to burn the industry.
When I asked him if he got out of bed every day to utter such prophetic claims in the mirror.
He assured me it wasn’t part of his morning routine – but a funny anecdote from his manager in a recent interview suggests otherwise. He is pretty distinctive: very expressive and full of exciting emotions while speaking passionately about his journey and craft. “Back in school, people always looked at me like I was the worst of the worst,” said D-O. “That’s why I carry this shit in my head and bring it into music because I feel that it’s the only thing I can do well.”
This raw, unfiltered passion sets D-O apart as an artist and nurtures his unique voice. The music works in a binary genre and is an exciting and often chaotic mix of Afrobits, Hip Hop, Alto. R&B, Dancehall, and Street Hop (a dance sound developed from Lagos). Sharp and bold, she pushes the contours of African pop to a blurry edge with a stunning variety of moods and themes. “I love the music I make,” said D-O. “You want to be angry, I have anger for you. If you wish to love, I have a love for you. You want to politics, I got you covered. If you want to God, I have this one for you (too). You know what I’m saying. It’s a mix. “