Celebrity of the week: Eldee (Lanre Dabiri)

Every week from henceforth, we intend doing what we called "celebrity of the week", we pick a celebrity at random whom we feel has done something worthy of celebration and acknowledgement. This week we are kicking off with nigeria's finest and sleekest, Lanre Dabiri popularly known as Eldee. Here's a brief bio of him...










Lanre Dabiri was born May 23 and raised in Kaduna, a city in Northern Nigeria. In 1998, eLDee and his high school friend “Kaboom” teamed up with “Freestyle”, and the group Trybesmen was born, which popularized the music genre Afro-hip hop/Afro-pop. Subsequently, eLDee founded his own independent label (Trybe Records) to support the group. They had two hit singles in 1999; "Trybal Marks" and "Shake Bodi". Trybesmen’s debut album was released shortly afterward, titled L.A.G. Style.

Lanre Dabiri aka “eLDee the Don” is the founder of Trybe Records. A music producer, recording artist, and a qualified architect. Born May 23rd and raised in Kaduna, a city in Northern Nigeria, eLDee’s love for music and the arts started at a very young age. In 1998, eLDee and his high school friend, “Kaboom” teamed up with “Freestyle”, and the group Trybesmen was born. Subsequently, eLDee founded his own independent label (Trybe Records) to support the group, and took the Nigerian music scene by storm with two hits in 1999; “Trybal Marks” and “Shake Bodi”. Trybesmen’s debut album “L.A.G. Style” was a massive hit and still a cult-classic. eLDee, as the head of Trybesmen and Trybe Records, engineered what has now become the music genre most call Afro-hip hop/Afro-pop. With Trybesmen’s undeniably incredible blend of Afro beat, Reggae, Highlife and hip hop, and with over 78 sold-out shows in one year, it was no surprise that Trybesmen became a force to be reckoned with across West Africa.

Trybe Records also created a platform for new talents that would help achieve the goal of placing African Hip Hop/African Pop on the international map. Trybe Records boasts of developing successful artists such as Sasha, who won the Kora’s Most Promising Artist Award in 2004, 2Shots, Lequse, olaDele, Timi, and Sid, who is now a member of the “Mo-hits Records” label.

eLDee came up with a collaboration of all the artists on the record label and named them Da Trybe. They produced singles "Work it out" and "Oya" in 2002, and the album BIG Picture in 2005.




He is currently married to Dolapo Latinwo-Belo



His current album "Big Boy" is not doing badly and consists of the following tracks


# Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Intro (Same Old Sh*t)" (skit) Dabiri S eLDee 2:25
2. "Bosi Gangba" Dabiri S, Babalola O eLDee 4:08
3. "Wanbi Na" (featuring oLaDELe, Keno and Proto) Dabiri S, Orubele K, Babalola O, Anamege C eLDee 4:53
4. "Big Boy" (featuring Olu Maintain, olaDELe and Banky W) Dabiri S, Babalola O, Adegbolu O, Wellington B eLDee 5:01
5. "Phonecall" (skit) Dabiri S, Oparah O eLDee 0:53
6. "Go" Dabiri S eLDee 4:06
7. "Evolution (Beautiful Thing)" (featuring Laurie B Irie) Dabiri S, Okugo C, Warner L Tim "Boska", eLDee 2:45
8. "Mama" (featuring Keno) Dabiri S, Orubele K eLDee 4:11
9. "Rewind" (featuring Riz) Dabiri S, Nwosu A Tim "Boska", eLDee 4:29
10. "Go (Remix)" Dabiri S, Ilori-Faboro A Dokta Frabz, eLDee 4:27
11. "I Know Bad People" Dabiri S eLDee 3:18
12. "Big Boy (Remix)" (featuring IceBerg Slim, Rukus and Proto) Dabiri S, Olowokere E, Okafor K, Anamege C eLDee 4:28



Congrats Eldee! You are simplyhabeeb.blogspot's celeb of the week.