The life and career of Nigerian RnB king, Banky W

macfranc007 June 30, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Caroline Yaakugh

Banky W has managed to maintain a healthy career in the Nigerian music industry and from the look of things, he doesn't seem to be slowing down any moment. However, before he became the music legend, Banky W was once a young returnee whose dreams of becoming a music star were nothing but dreams.

Although he had been in the music business earlier, he gained a rapid recognition in Nigerian when he released the song Ebute Metta sampling Rihanna's 2007 hit single Umbrella. While he received criticisms from several people who believed he lacked originality and wouldn't last, Banky W remained determined and soon excelled in his music career.

Background

Born Olubankole Wellington to Nigerian parents in the US March 27, 1981, his family moved back to Nigeria when he was just 5. Having done his primary and secondary education and returned to further his tertiary education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York on a scholarship, studying engineering. Growing up in a close-knitted family of 5, Banky W started displaying his music talent at a very tender age as he reported sang in the church choir as a kid.

While in the Polytechnic Institute, he started the record label EME in 2002. After he was done with school, Banky W made the brave decision to return to Nigeria in 2009, to pursue a career in the music industry. A move not so many people can comprehend in present day Nigeria what with the increasing difficulty in the standard of living. He established the record label and signed artists like Niyola, Shaydee, Skales and Wizkid which would later prove to be one of his best moves yet.

From Ebute Metta to EME: The rise of Banky W in the Nigerian music industry

Banky W Source: Instagram

Career

Prior to his move back to Nigerian, Banky W released his debut album, Back In The Building which earned him the 2003 award for R&B/Soul Artist of the Year at the Urban Independent Music Awards. However, he became a household name after he released the much talked about single, Ebute Metta which he did, sampling the instrumentals of Rihanna's hit song, Umbrella. Although the song became a hit, many people saw him as just another wannnabe singer who lacked originality and wouldn't last long in the spotlight. Well, Banky W proved them wrong as he continued to soar with the several hit songs that followed.

However, what many people did not know is that prior to the release of Ebute Metta and before his move back to Nigeria, he had released his first album titled Back In the Building in 2005 and it had received major recognition in the US. The song My Regret earned him awards and accolades, one of which was the US Songwriting award in 2006.

Banky W Source: Instagram

Banky W proved himself one with impressive business acumen when he grew his music record label into one of Nigeria's biggest labels at the time. With the likes of Wizkid, Skales, Niyola and Shaydee, it was glaring to see that business was good for the singer and producer.Although he had his hand full with producing and managing his signees, Banky W still went on to dominate the music scene with hit albums like Mr Capable, The W Experience, Songs About You, R&BW.

Despite turning his music label EME into a media agency focusing on advertising, PR, and talent management, Banky W still remains one of best RnB acts to ever come out of Nigeria.

Banky W and wife, Adesua Etomi Source: Instagram

Love life

In the year 2017, Banky W broke a lot of hearts in a rather shocking manner after he revealed he was dating Nollywood sweetheart, Adesua Etomi. After they both starred in the hit film, The Wedding Party, as love interests, many people hoped they two would end up together but very few knew there was already something cooking between the two.

Considered one of Nigeria's favourite celebrity couple, they two are literally everybody's love goal.

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