Banky W
Hailed as the King of African R&B, the prolific singer, songwriter, producer known as Banky W (Oluwabankole Wellington) is ushering in a new generation of vibrant artists on the continent and is reenergizing the entertainment industry. Born in the United States he grew up in Lagos where he began singing in church at an early age and upon completion of secondary school moved to New York to study Engineering. While still in college he won and was featured in numerous competitions and showcases which led him to form Empire Mate$ Entertainment, a label he envisioned as a platform for his music and the home of uber songwriting and production duo ‘Muzik Men’.
‘Undeniable: The EP’ was his debut and the buzz around the record quickly caught the ears of FOX23 executives who featured it in a two part television special. A distribution deal followed and it eventually became one of the top selling independent records and won him the 2003 R&B/Soul Artist of the Year at the Urban Independent Music Awards. ‘Back in the Buildin’ was released in 2005 to critical acclaim and solidified his status as a ground breaking artist. ‘My Regret’ a stand out song on the record was a hit and won The John Lennon Songwriting Award in the R&B category, a US Songwriting Award as well as the Best R&B Male (2006) and Best International Single of the Year (2007) at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards.
In 2008 he moved to Nigeria after the completion of the innovative album ‘Mr. Capable’ and the results were outstanding. He had successfully fused R&B with traditional and urban African music and for the first time sang in English and African dialects. The album spawned hits like ‘Capable’, ‘Work U Out’ and ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ and established him as one of the premier entertainers.
In December 2009, Banky W dropped his much anticipated follow up album in Nigeria, titled ‘THE W EXPERIENCE’. A strong contender for the best album of 2009/2010 in Africa, it features production from Nigeria’s most sought-after talents, and showcases Banky W. as he combines global R&B/Pop with African rhythms and influences to create an entirely unique and impressive sound. The 15-track album features collaborations from D’Banj, El Dee, 9ice; it also introduces his newly signed E.M.E acts, WIZKID and SKALES; and solidifies Banky W as the crown Prince of African Soul/R&B. The first two singles were released to much critical acclaim and commercial appeal, as “Strong Ting” and “Lagos Party” both went to Number 1 on Nigerian terrestrial media platforms as well as on all Pan-African platforms (e.g. MTV Base, Soundcity etc). The latest album has thus secured him even more award nominations across the board as he’s been nominated for 7 (seven) Soundcity Music Awards, Channel O Awards, MOBO Awards, MTV Awards, the Hip Hop World Awards, the Kora Awards, and many more.
Not to be outdone by his exploits in the world of music, he is also accomplished in several other fields. He’s a published writer, as articles from his blog (http://bankyw.blogspot.com) have been featured in numerous Nigerian Newspapers, magazines and websites. As a philanthropist, he launched the “I AM CAPABLE” scholarship fund, which provides tuition, room & board at private universities for youth who are in need and meet the grade requirements. He’s also part of the “LightupNigeria” Project, which is focused on achieving constant electrical power supply in Nigeria, and other charities (e.g. Enough Is Enough Nigeria and Cool2Vote). An avid proponent of technology and its relevance and use in our society he constantly stays in touch with fans through his social media platforms (74,000+ Followers on Twitter, 220,000 fans on Facebook).
Besides selling millions of records, he has also been extremely successful in many Corporate Marketing Campaigns, having entirely produced, co-produced or been featured prominently in projects like Etisalat’s 0809ja Launch, CocaCola-Nigeria’s World Cup Waving Flag Theme Song Remix, TomTom Ad campaigns, and Microsoft’s Anti-Cyber Crime Initiative. He’s also currently the Brand Ambassador for Samsung Mobile for the West African Region. Mr. W is also an accomplished Master of Ceremonies/Host, as he has successfully anchored numerous high profile events such as The HipHop World Awards, Nigerian Breweries Legend Extra Stout Product Launch, the 2face Live Concert, and The Gulder Ultimate Search Celebrity TV Show Launch/Season Finale.
Last but not least, Banky is also a proven Leader and CEO, having catapulted one of his protégés Ayodeji “WizKid” Balogun into full fledged Superstar Status, by executive-producing his critically acclaimed debut album and serving as the Musical Director for his Massive Launch in June of 2011 at the Expo Center in Lagos Nigeria.
In a depressed world economy Banky W and Empire Mate$ Entertainment have revolutionized an industry by crafting songs that people identify with and using creative ways to market and monetize their brands, they represent a new brand of artist and company. Currently readying releases from Skales and an EME collaboration album it is officially an EME takeover; enjoy the ride.