919 Spotlight: Prettyboy D-O

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Prettyboy D-O is a musical artist from Nigeria who describes his craft as a brand of music activism. Born Donald Ofik, his music addresses issues based on his personal experiences growing up in Nigeria. From tales of love and lust to songs of politics and corruption his sound encompasses different genres such as afrobeats, hip hop, alte sounds, R&B, dancehall, and street-hop. His most recent album “Love is War” is a beautiful blend of punk, rap and pop with his signature African rhythm sound that has a song for every mood. Born in New Jersey, he spent his earlier years in between Lagos, Abuja, and Delta state, Nigeria. He began his musical career in 2012 while at university in New York under a label formed with his high school friends called Sway Entertainment. He moved back to Nigeria in 2015 after being introduced to producer D’Tunes who was interested in signing him. In 2017 he signed a 2 year deal with Plug Records which led to him releasing his breakout track “Peter Piper”. The label flew him out to  California and from then on the icon we know as Prettyboy D-O began to take form. 

We got the chance to photograph Prettyboy D-O in some of our pieces and he was the first artist shooting with Vrede to style themself. Prettyboy takes great pride in his stylish appearance and is also recognized for his iconic hair dye styles. Taking style inspiration from some of the greats: Dennis Rodman, Sisqo, and Tony Tetuila Prettyboy D-Os uses colour to express himself through his music and personal style. This paired with his madcap spirit and commitment to lending a voice be it through song to speak on the reality of Nigerians sociopolitical climate allows him to connect with fans from all different walks of life. In a sit down interview with Prettyboy he spoke about the experiences he has had in his personal life which led him to music. Check out the video below to learn more about what those experiences are and what topics he feels allows him to connect with the audience.

Credits:

Photography: @bybueze

Styling: Prettyboy D-O

Journal: Awele Okeibunor