DJ AB’s Nigerian Music’s Next Big Thing

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

DJ AB? That’s Haruna Abdullahi, a Nigerian rapper, music producer, songwriter, and performer. Undoubtedly one of Northern Nigeria’s leading artists, the 28-year-old Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria quantity surveying graduate owes his nationwide renown to his rich repository of rap music. 

For DJ AB, his promising musical career all started in 2011 with the musical group Yaran North Side (YNS). This was even when he hit the limelight in 2014. Back then, the band members bought musical equipment and started making beats as well as recording vocal references. A few years later, he recorded and produced songs like “Su Baba Ne”, “Yar Boko”, “Babarsa”, “Her Love” and “Soyayya”, among others.

In 2021, the Kaduna State born-and-bred artist was picked to showcase his musical talent by one of Nigeria’s most famous singers, known as Mr. Eazi, on the emPawa Africa platform, a brand which partners with independent African artistes and labels to reach their full potential through marketing, distribution, label services, finance, publishing, and managing of musical artists.

He would win an award for ‘Best Northern Nigerian Artiste of the Year’ on the Northern Pandora Awards platform in 2017. He was among the nominees listed for ‘Arewa Best Dancehall/Afro Hip Hop Artiste of the Year’ Award, and ‘Arewa Music Artiste of the Year (Male)’ Award on the City People Music Awards platform in 2018 and 2019. He was also nominated on the same platform of City People Music Awards for ‘Arewa Best Hausa Rap Album of the year’ Award in 2020.

This year, DJ AB released an EP titled ‘SUPA’ featuring two of Nigeria’s most notable artists, Mr. Eazi and Di’ja, with eight songs all composed in the Afrobeats genre.