User:Dhanjae

Dhanjae is a Nigerian artist , singer , songwriter, dancer ,poet and fashion designer. He is known for his artistic prowess, album making skills and controversial online personality. He is the co-founder of the record label Slut Music/ColonyR and the founder of the collective known as Meganova15.

Early Life

DhanJae was born on January 31, 1999 in Ogun State,Nigeria as the fourth child in a family of seven. His father, Michael Igbokwe ran a pharmaceutical company alongside his mother, Kemi Igbokwe. DhanJae demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age after being introduced to Michael Jackson’s music by his father who was a huge fan of the artist. After losing his father at the age of ten, he got introduced to rap music and rnb by his only brother who would play him music on his PlayStation portable which made him pick up writing, not long after he would begin going to different music studios learning how to make and arrange music.

Musical Career

After dropping a series of singles on SoundCloud from 2017 to 2019. DhanJae dropped a single known as “Only Way” on Audiomack in 2020 which got reupped on Audiomack’s official Afrobeats playlist and got a significant level of attention from the underground scene which helped him build a core fanbase. Later that year, after the Corona lockdown DhanJae dropped the Fela Kuti inspired heartbreak song “Kilode” to critical acclaim, hinting at a possible project release. Inspired by the Lekki Massacre and EndSars movement, he dropped the single “Jelo” on December 13, followed by a music video the next day. The music video got aired on Soundcity and brought him a significant level of media attention as he was praised by critics for the innovative edge and newness of his music.

In the following year, on January 28,2021. DhanJae dropped his first EP, “Black October” to heavy critical acclaim, it has been deemed a masterpiece and it’s heavy atmospheric sound and lyrical content is a big influence on modern day Gen Z Afrobeats and music in general. Later in that year, DhanJae dropped the single “Hope” and then went on a hiatus.

DhanJae returned the following year on the songs “state of emergency” and “For Zanga” by rapper-producer, Sw!tchh. On October 20,2022, DhanJae released the single “Hear Word” accompanied by a viral video. He later announced his second project and first album “Jideofor” would be dropping soon. After a period of teasing and heavy anticipation from fans, DhanJae dropped “Jideofor” on January 31,2023 which was also his birthday. The album has been heavily praised for its theme, Dhanjae’s growth as an artiste and the intentional nature of the music with the songs “Ten” and “Abena” being a standout track among fans and critics alike. In the month of March, DhanJae & Wale Adams dropped a visualizer for “Abena”. Dhanjae went on to further promote the album via a heavy online presence and cryptic posts on Instagram that touched on various subjects while still maintaining the theme of the project. After a brief hiatus, DhanJae returned online posting a series of cryptic posts and art online with the title “Don’t Fall In Love With Me”. He further went on to state that he officially denounces Afrobeats as a genre and refuses to adhere to the world’s rules on numbers which seems to be a slight at Spotify and streaming farms. On February 16,2024 , he released his third project and second studio album, “Don't Fall In Love With Me” which took a darker, more experimental route and has been praised for its musical cohesiveness, theme ,DhanJae’s growth as an artist, wide ranging sound and production. This album also serves as a proper introduction to Dhanjae’s signature Dark Pop sound.

Art

Dhanjae’s work with the collective Meganova15 has been praised for its daring and polarizing ideas and concepts. He frequently works with his sister/photographer/creative director, The Millennial Gallery and co-creative directors, Wazabi and wtfKeisha. Their art borders on Afrosurrealism with a vintage touch and touch of Anime. A work with one of their numerous affiliates, Abhidyxo got reposted by The Weeknd and Metro boomin on their Instagram stories which brought the collective a significant level of media attention. The collective seemingly has an anti-capitalist and anti-algorithm worldview as they seem to operate in their own timing. Dhanjae has shown a heavy interest in local African themed designs while still incorporating Gen Z elements.