Entertainment
Balloranking Renews Multi-Year Deal With Dapper Music & Entertainment
The renewed agreement was formalised during a signing ceremony held at the Dapper Group headquarters in Lagos, marking a continuation of a relationship that has evolved alongside Balloranking’s rise within Nigeria’s contemporary street-pop and Afrobeats landscape.
The new deal reflects updated terms shaped by the progress achieved throughout the partnership and signals the beginning of a new phase for the artist, with a forthcoming project already in development and further details expected in the coming weeks.
Since first partnering with Dapper Music & Entertainment in 2022, Balloranking has emerged as one of the most consistent voices within Nigeria’s evolving street-pop movement.
Across multiple releases, collaborations, and live appearances, the partnership has been defined by steady development rather than short-term visibility, allowing the artist to grow organically while maintaining the emotional honesty and street-rooted perspective that shaped his early appeal.
Through Dapper Music & Entertainment’s infrastructure spanning label services, strategic rollout planning, branding, distribution, media positioning, and live performance support, Balloranking has expanded from an emerging act with grassroots momentum into a recognised artist with national reach and growing international visibility. Distribution for releases under the partnership has continued through Dvpper Digital, supporting consistent audience growth across streaming platforms and digital markets.
Over the course of the partnership, Balloranking has delivered projects and records that strengthened his identity as an artist capable of balancing melodic accessibility with introspective storytelling.
From Trench Kid Deluxe to Ghetto Gospel and subsequent releases, his catalogue has resonated strongly with audiences drawn to emotionally grounded music shaped by real-life experience, helping establish him as one of the defining voices within a new generation of Nigerian street-pop artists.
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Speaking on the renewed agreement, Damilola “Dapper” Akinwunmi, CEO of Dapper Group, described the re-signing as a continuation of a partnership built on mutual trust and shared growth.
“Re-signing Balloranking means more to us than adding a name to the roster; it’s a renewal of trust between an artist and a label that has grown together. Four years in, we’re not starting over; we’re building on everything we’ve already proven. The best of this partnership is still ahead.”
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Balloranking also reflected on the relationship and the decision to continue building within the Dapper ecosystem.
“Dapper Music has been home from day one. We’ve grown together, won together, and there was never any question about staying. This isn’t just a new deal. It’s a promise to keep going harder. The streets haven’t seen the best of me yet.”
The announcement arrives at a time when Dapper Group continues to strengthen its position within Nigeria’s music business infrastructure. Through its combined operations across artist development, distribution, live entertainment, branding, and media execution, the company currently accounts for an estimated eight per cent of Nigeria’s streaming market and generates more than one billion streams annually across its ecosystem.
For Balloranking, the renewed deal represents both continuity and evolution. Rather than revisiting past milestones, the partnership now shifts focus toward what comes next, with a new body of work expected to mark the next stage in his artistic growth. As anticipation builds around the forthcoming project, the re-signing stands as a clear indication that both artist and label remain aligned in vision, ambition, and long-term direction.
Daily Voice reports that the Convener of the Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), Pelumi Olajengbesi, announced the singer’s death in a post via his Instagram page on Wednesday.
While praying for God’s mercy upon Toluwanisings, Olajengbesi expressed concern over the death of young Nigerians.
The family of the deceased also confirmed the demise in a statement via the singer’s Instagram page after confusion trailed the death.
In a post shared on his Instagram handle, Oloketuyi said Toluwanisings slumped on the stairs and was rushed from one hospital to another.
According to him, Toluwanisings was rejected in two hospitals before the third medical facility, which accepted him, confirmed the singer dead.
While describing the death as too painful, Oloketuyi wrote, “How Toluwasings died. DEATH SHAME ON YOU: You slumped on the stairs, and they began rushing you from one hospital to another. The first hospital rejected you, the second hospital rejected you, and by the time you got to the third hospital, they said you were gone.
“This is too painful to believe. A gospel musician whose voice once blessed souls, gone just like that?
“Death, why are you so cruel?
“Rest in peace, Toluwanisings. Your voice may be silent here on earth, but the songs you left behind will continue to speak.”
Afrobeats star Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, better known as Ayra Starr, has announced a 20-city world tour to support her third studio album, Starrgirl.
The Starrgirl World Tour is scheduled to begin in Europe in January 2027, with stops across Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America.
Ayra announced that the tour will open on January 20 at Live Music Hall in Cologne, Germany. It will then move through Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Zurich and Brussels before closing the European leg in London on February 2 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
The North American leg will commence on March 18 at House of Blues in Houston, Texas, with additional performances in Dallas, Atlanta, Silver Spring, Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver.
The tour will round off on April 14 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.
Before the international dates, she is expected to perform in Africa in December 2026, though dates and venues for that leg are yet to be disclosed.
The announcement comes a day after her appearance at the National Football League International Game in London on Sunday, October 11, where she headlined the halftime show during the Philadelphia Eagles versus Jacksonville Jaguars match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The performance added to her growing list of international milestones, following the global success of her music and outings at major global events.
Starrgirl, released on August 14, 2026, through Mavin Records and Republic Records, features collaborations with British singer ZAYN, American singer Leon Thomas and Nigerian singer Wizkid. NigerianCulture Magazine
The album includes Heaven Baby with ZAYN, which reached number two on the Official Afrobeats Chart, according to the Official Charts Company.
Starr, known for breakout hits like Rush, Bloody Samaritan and Commas, has continued to expand her reach beyond Africa through streaming, international shows and cross-border collaborations.
According to her Instagram Story post, tickets for the European and UK dates will be available through artist and Mastercard presales starting October 14, with general sales opening October 16 at 10 am local time via Live Nation.
Sharon Ademefun (née Adeleke), the sister of popular Nigerian singer Davido, has said she no longer spends excessively on expensive clothes.
She said some things are worth the cost, but others are hard to justify.
Daily Voice reports that Ademefun shared her reservations during an interview on The Fashion Round Table podcast.
“I don’t really believe in buying expensive clothes, me personally. I believe that there are some things that are worth it. When I’m hearing that a wedding guest dress is $10,000, a wedding guest dress, they’re all the same price now,” she said.
Sharon also opened up about her wedding expenses, revealing that her husband paid $2,000 for her wedding dress, while she covered the cost of dresses for her 13 bridesmaids and an additional four or five hostesses.
“I remember for my wedding, my husband paid $2,000 for my dress, and I paid for all my bridesmaids’ dresses. I had 13 bridesmaids, and I paid for the hostesses’ dresses too. That was an additional four or five people. Altogether, I spent less than $10,000 on everything. But that comes back to where I went. I just feel like there are certain things that I’m not willing to pay for anymore. So I don’t believe in overly expensive clothes. I’m turning 40 next year, and I’ve made an executive decision- unfortunately, I’m sorry to say this- that I will not be participating with any Nigerian designer directly,” she said.
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