eLDee
Lanre Dabiri (born May 23, 1977), better known by his stage name Eldee, stylized as eLDee, is a former Nigerian-American rapper, singer, and record producer but now an IT Consultant based in the United States[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
eLDee | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lanre Dabiri |
| Also known as | The Don |
| Born | May 23, 1977 Kaduna, Nigeria |
| Origin | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Genres | Afro hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, record producer, song writer, Architect |
| Instruments | Rapping |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Trybe Records |
| Associated acts | Trybesmen, Sasha P, Yemi Alade, Chiddy Bang, Dr SID, Sticky ya Bongtur, M.I Abaga, Sarz |
| Website | tryberecords |
He is an original member of the band Trybesmen, which was started in 1998 with rappers KB and Freestyle. He has made five solo albums.
Early life and education
eLDee comes from Lagos Island in Lagos State of Nigeria. He has a master's degree in Architecture from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Music career
After moving to the United States in 2002, eLDee recorded a solo album titled Long Time Coming (2004). He followed it up with Return of the King (2006), which contains the single "I Go Yarn". Return of the King won "Best International Album" at the 2007 Nigeria Entertainment Awards in New York City.[8] His subsequent albums are Big Boy (2008), originally titled Evolution, Is it your money Vol.1 (2010) and Undeniable (2012).
He came up with a collaboration of all artists on the Trybe Records label, called Da Trybe. They produced the singles "Work it out" and "Oya" in 2002, and the album BIG Picture in 2005.
eLDee has worked as an artist, producer, video director and an interactive media consultant.
He is passionate about African social issues.
Personal life
"Lanre" is a derivative for the Yoruba name "Olanrewaju" (which translates to "Wealth is moving forward").[9]
eLDee and his long-term partner, Dolapo Latinwo-Belo married and together they have 2 daughters, Temi, and Toke. He has been based in Atlanta, USA since 2002.
In December 2013 he posted a message on his official Twitter page to voice his support for gay rights, saying that hopefully one day soon Africa will realize that anti-gay sentiment is no different from racial or religious discrimination.[10]
Discography
Albums
- 2004: Long Time Coming
- 2006: Return of the King
- 2008: Big Boy
- 2010: Is It Your Money
- 2012: Undeniable
Compilations
- 2000: L.A.G Style by Trybesmen
- 2004: The Big Picture (Trybe Records Album)
- 2009: The Champion: The Hits
See also
- African hip hop
- Nigerian hip hop
- Music of Nigeria
References
- Akan, Joey. "eLDee: Rapper to make comback for Olamide collaboration?". Pulse.ng. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "eLDee And Wife Celebrate 7th Wedding Anniversary – INFORMATION NIGERIA". Informationng.com. November 7, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "Eldee Picks Rapper, Eva Alordiah As First Lady". Nigeriafilms.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "TheNET.ng – Nigeria's Top Website for News, Gossip, Comedy, Videos, Blogs, Events, Weddings, Nollywood, Celebs, Scoop and Games". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "Eldee signs female rapper, Eva Alordiah to Tribes Records v.20 – Daily Post Nigeria". Dailypost.ng. May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "Eldee". afrobios.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- "Olanrewaju - Nigerian.Name". Nigerian.name. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- "Rapper Eldee advocates for gay rights, as fans go wild! – Vanguard News". Vanguardngr.com. December 26, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2018.