The Creative Genius Behind Afrobeats’ Next Global Superstars.
The global music world is no stranger to Afrobeats, a culture-rooted, energy-driven genre born from the pulse of West Africa and now firmly established as a central force in global entertainment. Its origins trace back to the 1970s, when Fela Anikulapo-Kuti used the self-styled Afrobeat sound as a bold weapon of social criticism, challenging the Nigerian government with fearless conviction.
Decades later, in the early 2010s, the modern iteration of Afrobeats, sharpened by innovation, digital influence, and international collaboration, took confident strides onto the global stage. Artists like D’banj broke new ground, signing with global labels and collaborating with icons including Dr Dre, Kanye West, and Snoop Dogg, signalling a new era for African sound.
At its heart, Afrobeats has always been powered by familiar pillars: street language, trend-setting lyricism, infectious dance culture, and multi-layered percussion-led rhythms. The genre reflects the lived experience of its audience, hope, romance, politics, hustle, joy, resilience, and the everyday stories woven through African life.
As the genre evolves, it continues to stretch its creative boundaries. New subcultures emerge, new sounds are born, and new voices rise, many coming from disadvantaged backgrounds where music is the clearest lifeline to opportunity. From these experiences sprouts Afropop, a dynamic offshoot steeped in the same cultural DNA but shaped for a new generation of global listeners.
At the centre of Afrobeats’ explosive growth, diversification and global cultural dominance stands one undeniable architect: Damilola “Dapper” Akinwunmi. As founder of Dapper Music & Entertainment, Dapper has become one of the most influential powerhouses shaping the future of contemporary African music, an executive whose instincts for talent are as precise as they are prophetic. His ability to spot originality long before it becomes mainstream has reshaped the pipeline of home-grown stars, unearthing voices that now define the sound, feel and global perception of Afrobeats.
Across Nigeria and Ghana, Dapper has built a track record that few in the industry can rival, discovering and developing chart-shifting acts such as Shallipopi, TI Blaze, Seyi Vibez, Rybeena, Lasmid, TML Vibez, Bhadboi OML, Kashcoming, Cazulee, Balloranking, and the breakout girl group Giddy Girls, who have already earned features with Burna Boy and TML Vibez. These are not just signees; they are the new wave shaping charts, influencing culture, and driving streaming numbers across the continent and beyond.
Through Dvpper Digital, the distribution arm of the Dapper Group, he has powered some of the most impressive success stories in recent Afrobeats history. In 2023, Omah Lay crossed the 1-billion Spotify-stream milestone, becoming one of the most streamed African artists of the year, an achievement strengthened by Dvpper Digital’s precision in market penetration and fan-base activation. In 2025, Bhadboi OML’s “Wasiu Ayinde” became the number one song in the Top Ten Songs of the Summer by Tiktok, dominating playlists across Africa, Europe and diasporic hubs. This same year, TI Blaze’s “Shakur (Deluxe)” secured the No. 7 spot among the most-streamed Nigerian projects on Spotify, reinforcing Dapper’s ability to build catalogue, not just virality. This is an empire organised around strategy, data intelligence and unmatched cultural intuition.
Beyond recordings and distribution, Dapper has also redefined what live Afrobeats experiences can look and feel like. Through Dapper Live, he has delivered some of the continent’s most ambitious, creative and sold-out events. In 2023, Trenchfest was introduced and can be dubbed the biggest concert in Afrobeat’s modern era that brought artistes closer to their local fans, the concert touched Ibadan, Lagos mainland and Island and had the longest line-up of Afro pop artistes performing to over 20,000 attendees in Ibadan alone.
In 2025, he introduced “Trench Symphony,” a groundbreaking fusion of orchestral performance and Afrobeats, a sonic experiment that became a full cultural moment. Artists like Dwillsharmony, Lasmid, Rybeena, Bhadboi OML, Cazulee, TI Blaze and TML Vibez performed in an immersive environment that bridged classical instrumentation with street-born afro-rhythms.
His experimental “Pocket Stage” series further expanded the boundaries of live performance, offering intimate, high-fidelity live session recordings for artists such as TI Blaize and Lasmid. These formats have now become fan favourites and digital staples.
Dapper Music & Entertainment’s footprint also extends to global stages. Seyi Vibez’s Homecoming concert at the O2 Indigo in London, and his Lagos show at Eko Hotel, Shallipopi’s headline London show, where he sold out a 1500-capacity venue (Outernet), were all driven, promoted, and organised by Dapper’s ecosystem, each delivering sold-out crowds and establishing a blueprint for cross-market concert success. With the launch of HUE, Dapper introduced a fresh visual platform designed to spotlight African artists through emotive, stripped-back live-session videos. Since its debut in October 2025, HUE has delivered standout performances from Cazulee, TML Vibez and Giddy Girls, further cementing Dapper’s position as a curator of the continent’s most exciting raw talent.
But Dapper’s vision goes beyond talent discovery. His mission is clear: to create a transparent, ethical, and sustainable ecosystem that allows home-grown African artistes to shine on the world’s biggest stages. He is building a blueprint defined by fairness, clarity and long-term loyalty, a stark contrast to the exploitative patterns that once dominated the African music business.
In an era where Afrobeats continues its global ascent, shaping charts, festivals, culture and the sound of modern pop, Damilola “Dapper” Akinwunmi is emerging as one of the genre’s most essential custodians. His work is not just amplifying stars; it is shaping the future of African music and ushering in the next generation of global superstars
