How Raypower owed us for 7 months before Ben Bruce made us hit gold — Dayo Adeneye aka D1

Media personality turned politician, Dayo Adeneye, popularly known as D1, shared his grace-to-grace tale at an event held in Lagos. The video of the event was sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the organisers last week, but the event held last year November.

At the gathering, the Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy addressed several issues.

He opened up about his rise from practically nothing to becoming a household name in Nigeria’s showbiz terrain and now politics.

D1, 58, has contributed in no small measure to changing the face of Nigeria’s thriving music industry.

In 1998, he started the AIT Jamz music show alongside his close friend Kenny Ogungbe, and their platform went on to discover music superstars including 2Baba, Tony Tetuila, Paul Play Dairo, Eedris Abdulkareem and many others.

In 2015, he ventured into politics. He is currently the spokesman for the Ogun State Government.

Here are excerpts from Mr. Adeneye’s session at the event as transcribed from the video.

My Time At Ray Power

My father was upset that I returned from America and chose to do music at the time music was regarded as a job fit for dropouts alone. When Kenny Ogungbe and I started working at Raypower and I was paid N17, 000 a month. We were doing what we enjoyed doing and at some point Kenny and I didn’t even know we were being owed 7months. My wife left me and took the kids to America.

We were charging N60, 000 for anyone to book 2face we thought we had arrived. At the time we started, the late Afrobeat legend, Fela was being paid N25, 000 per show; he was the highest paid Nigerian artiste.

These days some Nigerian artistes even charge N15 million per show.

Leaving Raypower

One day I woke up and realised that my salary is 17,000 a month. The seven years I worked at Ray Power were my happiest moments but I was so broke. I sold all my four cars and was left with 1 car at the end of the day. I even moved from a 3 bedroom to a one bedroom in Ebute Metta. My first wife left me because I was broke. I didn’t even realise that I was broke until my dad came a certain day and said he needed money. I told him I have not been paid. I told him I was being owed seven months salary; he asked me to go resign. I told him it was difficult because I was the director of marketing. I felt I was already a star I didn’t know my blessings was just around the corner. Ben Bruce called Kenny and I three months after and them gave us primetime belt- 8pm to host our show. We made so much money that in three months we bought a Hummer and Range Rover landed shortly after.

I worked for Raypower for seven years and I didn’t have a day off. I didn’t know until I quit. And when I did, I slept for three months. But we enjoyed working there. We were just two young men having fun and setting foundation for Kennis Music and Primetime Africa. If, I never left America with Kenny I won’t have been here today. If I weren’t kicked out of Raypower I wouldn’t have founded Kennis Music and Primetime Africa.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been edited to reflect the actual source of the story and correct the date of the event.