Bankulli
{{Short description|Nigerian music executive}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bankulli
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Abisagboola Oluseun John
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|12|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lagos
| nationality = Nigeria
| occupation = {{hlist|Talent manager|A&R executive|Promoter|Music executive|Singer|Songwriter|}}
| alma_mater =
| known_for = Bankulli Entertainment
| years_active = 2001–present
}}
Abisagboola Oluseun John popularly known as Bankulli or Osha, is a Nigerian music executive, A&R, talent manager, singer, and songwriter, pioneering the African pop culture.{{cite web |last1=Itodo |first1=Sunny Green |title=International collaboration is the new crude oil – Music executive, Bankulli |url=https://dailypost.ng/2023/04/28/international-collaboration-is-the-new-crude-oil-music-executive-bankulli/ |website=Daily Post Nigeria |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=28 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=African youths should be involved in Politics full-time, says Bankuli |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/african-youths-should-be-involved-in-politics-full-time-says-bankuli/ |website=The Nation |access-date=17 December 2023}} He is the founder and CEO of Bankulli Entertainment, known for housing recording acts, such as Basiil,{{cite web |last1=Eze |first1=Chinelo |title=Basiil Steps Out With Vibration |url=https://guardian.ng/life/basiil-steps-out-with-vibration/ |website=The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=22 June 2023}} and Konstance.{{cite web |last1=Charts |first1=TurnTable |title=KONSTANCE DEBUTS HER EXCITING NEW CHAPTER AS SHE SHARES NEW SINGLE “MELO” |url=https://www.turntablecharts.com/news/1073 |website=www.turntablecharts.com |publisher=TurnTable |access-date=17 December 2023}} He formerly served as the artiste manager of Mo' Hits Records,{{cite web |last1=Nigeria |first1=Guardian |title=Bankulli: The Star Plug |url=https://guardian.ng/life/bankulli-the-star-plug/ |website=The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=22 December 2019}} one of Africa's defunct recording companies owned by Don Jazzy, and D’banj. As a talent manager, he managed D'banj's solo career after Mo' Hits.
Bankulli has also worked with artists and producers around the world from Nigeria, the US, and the UK. In 2011, he worked on the collaborative studio project Watch The Throne, a 5× Platinum album created by Kanye West and Jay-Z. He went on to work with Kanye West on his sixth studio album Yeezus. In 2020, Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift{{cite web |last1=Soupamodel |first1=D. J. |title=Meet the African Artists Beyonce Collaborated With For ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/beyonce-the-lion-king-african-artists-interview-8523901/ |website=Billboard |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=25 July 2019}} soundtrack album, was nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and earned him, a special recognition from The Recording Academy.{{cite web |title=Bankulli, Juls Baby, Lil Nas X – Meet the Recording Academy Member Class of 2020 |url=https://www.bellanaija.com/2020/07/bankulli-juls-recording-academy-member/ |website=BellaNaija |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=10 July 2020}}{{cite web |title=Bankuli: Music, Grammy, and me |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/bankuli-music-grammy-and-me/ |website=The Nation |access-date=17 December 2023}}
Career
Bankulli began his music career at R70, a UK-based entertainment company owned by Ayo Shonaiya, and DJ Abass, where he worked as an internship.{{cite web |title=Why I Left D’Banj —Bankuli |url=https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/03/26/why-i-left-dbanj-bankuli/ |website=P.M. News |access-date=17 December 2023}} In 2019, Beyoncé released a soundtrack album titled The Lion King: The Gift, which Bankulli co-wrote two songs on the project alongside Beyoncé.{{cite web |last1=Report |first1=Agency |title=Nigerian artiste, Bankulli speaks on writing for Beyoncé |url=https://punchng.com/nigerian-artiste-bankulli-speaks-on-writing-for-beyonce/ |website=Punch Newspapers |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=16 September 2019}} The album also earned him his first Grammy nomination for his songwriting credit on "Find Your Way Back", and "Otherside".{{cite web |last1=Tayo |first1=Ayomide O. |title=Review of The Lion King: The Gift album by Beyonce |url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/the-lion-king-the-gift-by-beyonce-album-review/v441rss |website=Pulse Nigeria |access-date=17 December 2023 |language=en |date=19 July 2019}} On 9 August 2019, Bankulli announced in a series of tweets about his documentary titled "Chronicles of Afrobeats" to be released soon, in the tweet he narrated how Don Jazzy became the first Afrobeats Music producer to represent the genre in the mainstream music scene in the U.S in 2011, to two greatest music genius of our time Kanye West, and Jay-Z, to how he ended doing vocals on two songs on Watch The Throne album.{{cite web |title=Bankulli set to Release “Chronicles of Afrobeats” Documentary |url=https://www.bellanaija.com/2019/08/bankulli-set-to-release-chronicles-of-afrobeats-documentary/ |website=BellaNaija |access-date=17 December 2023 |date=9 August 2019}}
Discography
=Collaborative eps=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of collaborative studio extended plays, with selected details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:2.8em;font-size:90%;"| NG |
|---|
| scope="row"|Journey Back Home{{cite web |last1=Alake |first1=Motolani |title=Sound Sultan is immortalized on 'Journey Back Home,' by Bankulli and Tome |url=https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/sound-sultan-is-immortalized-on-journey-back-home-by-bankulli-and-tome/67qkhje |website=Pulse Nigeria |access-date=17 December 2023 |language=en |date=29 November 2021}}
(with. Töme) |
| |
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
==As featured artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of singles as featured artist, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name shown ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:22em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! colspan="7" scope="col" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NG ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NG ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| SA ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Iyawo" {{small|(Thutmose featuring Bankulli)}} | rowspan="2"| 2021 | — || — || — || — || — || — || — | | Best of Both Worlds: Side B |
| scope="row"| "Wedding Song" {{small|(Machel Montano featuring Bankulli)}} | — || — || — || — || — || — || — | |The Wedding Album |
| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Production discography
=Selected songs produced and songwriting credit=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
!Artist !width="150"|Song !width="150"|Album !Release date !Certifications !Label !Note |
| rowspan="2"|Jay-Z and Kanye West
|rowspan="2"|Watch the Throne |rowspan="2"|8 August 2011 | |rowspan="2"|Def Jam / Roc Nation \ Roc-A-Fella |rowspan="2"|
|
| "Illest Motherfucker Alive"
| |
| rowspan="2"|Shatta Wale
|rowspan="2"|"Dancehall King" |Answers (The Hybrid) |14 March 2014 | |SM4LYF Records |rowspan="2"|
|
| After the Storm
|29 April 2016 | |Shatta Movement Music Production |
| rowspan="2"|Beyoncé
|rowspan="2"|The Lion King: The Gift |rowspan="2"|19 July 2019 | |rowspan="2"|Parkwood / Columbia |rowspan="2"|
|
| "Otherside"
| |
| Davido
|"Stand Strong" (feat. Sunday Service Choir) |{{Non-album single}} |13 May 2022 | |
|
| rowspan="2"|Basiil
|"Vibration" |rowspan="2"|I Know I Am |2 June 2023 | |rowspan="7"|Bankulli Entertainment |rowspan="7"|
|
| "Come Alive" (feat. 4Korners)
|7 July 2023 | |
| rowspan="2"|Konstance
|"Melo" |rowspan="2" {{TBA}} |31 August 2023 | |
| "For You"
|1 December 2023 | |
| rowspan="3"|Basiil
|"Falling" (feat. Camidoh) |rowspan="3"|Falling with My Idols |1 December 2023 | |
| "Falling" (feat. Nonso Amadi)
|1 December 2023 | |
| "Falling" (feat. Ladipoe)
|1 December 2023 | |
=Selected albums produced=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
!Artist !width="150"|Album !Release date !Certifications !Label !Note |
| Jay-Z and Kanye West
|8 August 2011 | |Def Jam / Roc Nation / Roc-A-Fella |rowspan="2"|
|
| Kanye West
|18 June 2013 | |
| Beyoncé
|19 July 2019 | |
|
| Bankulli and Töme
|Journey Back Home |26 November 2021 | |rowspan="2"|Bankulli Entertainment |rowspan="3"|
|
| Basil
|I Know I Am |21 July 2023 | |
| Shatta Wale
|{{TBA}} | |{{TBA}} |