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. He is the founder and CEO of Bankulli Entertainment, known for housing recording acts, such as Basiil, and Konstance. He formerly served as the artiste manager of Mo' Hits Records, 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 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.
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. In 2019, Beyoncé released a soundtrack album titled The Lion King: The Gift, which Bankulli co-wrote two songs on the project alongside Beyoncé. The album also earned him his first Grammy nomination for his songwriting credit on "Find Your Way Back", and "Otherside". 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.
Discography Collaborative eps + List of collaborative studio extended plays, with selected details and chart positions Title Details Peak chart positions NGJourney Back Home (with. Töme) Released: 26 November 2021 Label: Bankulli Entertainment Formats: Digital download
Singles As lead artist +List of singles as lead artist, with year released and album shown Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album NG NGAfropop SA UK UKAfrobeats USAfrobeats "Gbemiro" (feat. Wurld) 2020 — — — — — — rowspan="3" "Gbemiro (Remix)" (feat. Hiro) — — — — — — "Foreign" (feat. Not3s) 2021 — — — — 6 — "Ekorin" — — — — — —The Last Ship "Iye" — — — — — — "All My Life" (feat. MohBad, Basiil, & Konstance) 2023 — — — — — —
As featured artist +List of singles as featured artist, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name shown Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album NG NGAfropop SA UK UKAfrobeats USAfrobeats USR&B/HH "Iyawo" 2021 — — — — — — — Best of Both Worlds: Side B "Wedding Song" — — — — — — —The Wedding Album "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Production discography Selected songs produced and songwriting credit ArtistSongAlbumRelease dateCertificationsLabelNoteJay-Z and Kanye West"Lift Off" (feat. Beyoncé)Watch the Throne8 August 2011Def Jam / Roc Nation \ Roc-A-FellaBackup vocal"Illest Motherfucker Alive"Shatta Wale"Dancehall King"Answers (The Hybrid)14 March 2014SM4LYF RecordsExecutive producerAfter the Storm29 April 2016Shatta Movement Music ProductionBeyoncé"Find Your Way Back"The Lion King: The Gift19 July 2019Parkwood / ColumbiaCo-writer"Otherside"Davido"Stand Strong" (feat. Sunday Service Choir)13 May 2022DMW / SonyVocal production for The SamplesBasiil"Vibration"I Know I Am2 June 2023Bankulli EntertainmentExecutive Producer"Come Alive" (feat. 4Korners)7 July 2023Konstance"Melo"rowspan="2" 31 August 2023"For You"1 December 2023Basiil"Falling" (feat. Camidoh)Falling with My Idols1 December 2023"Falling" (feat. Nonso Amadi)1 December 2023"Falling" (feat. Ladipoe)1 December 2023
Selected albums produced ArtistAlbumRelease dateCertificationsLabelNoteJay-Z and Kanye WestWatch the Throne8 August 2011Def Jam / Roc Nation / Roc-A-FellaBackup vocal creditKanye WestYeezus18 June 2013Def Jam / Roc-A-FellaBeyoncéThe Lion King: The Gift19 July 2019Parkwood / ColumbiaCo-writerBankulli and TömeJourney Back Home26 November 2021Bankulli EntertainmentExecutive producerBasilI Know I Am21 July 2023Shatta WaleKonekt
References