Damilola Akinwunmi

Damilola "Dapper" Akinwunmi (born August 1994), is a Nigerian music executive and entrepreneur^[1]. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Dapper Group, a music and entertainment company based in Lagos, Nigeria^[2]. He is known for his role in the commercialization and global digital distribution of the Nigerian street-pop genre and for developing several prominent artists within the contemporary Afrobeats ecosystem^[3].

Under his leadership, Dapper Music & Entertainment, the group’s flagship label, emerged as one of the leading Nigerian-owned record labels in terms of streaming market share in 2024^[4].

Damilola Akinwunmi was born in southwestern Nigeria in August 1994. During his childhood he developed an early interest in music and learned to play several instruments, including the saxophone, clarinet, and drums. He also served as band captain during both his primary and secondary school years.

He later attended the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. During an academic strike in 2012, he began exploring opportunities in music management and media, which later led to his entry into the professional music industry^[5].

Early management (2014–2016)

Akinwunmi began his professional career in 2014 as an artist manager. He is credited with discovering and managing the Nigerian artist Dotman, helping guide the artist to mainstream recognition. During this period he also worked with other performers, including Koker (singer)^[6].

Temple Management Company (2016–2018)

Between 2016 and 2018, Akinwunmi worked as a talent representative at Temple Management Company, a Lagos-based entertainment agency. In this role he managed or worked with artists such as Iyanya, and producers including Tee-Y Mix and Adey.

Founding of Dapper Group (2018–present)

In 2018 he founded Dapper Group, which later expanded into a multi-division entertainment company involved in music distribution, publishing, live events, and film production. The company operates several subsidiaries including Dvpper Digital, Dapper Music & Entertainment, Dapper Live, Dapper Films, and S94 Publishing^[7].

Through Dapper Music, Akinwunmi has worked with several Nigerian artists including Ice Prince, Seyi Vibez, Shallipopi, T.I Blaze, Balloranking, TML Vibez, Rybeena, Lasmid, Cazulee, BNXN, Kashcoming, and Bhadboi OML^[8][9][10].

Akinwunmi has launched several music and creative industry initiatives through Dapper Group^[11].

Trench Symphony

Trench Symphony is a live concert series produced by Dapper Live that combines Nigerian street-pop and Fuji music with orchestral and operatic arrangements. The initiative has been described as an effort to elevate indigenous Nigerian music within theatrical performance contexts^[12][13].

Banger Only Productions (BOP)

Launched in 2025, Banger Only Productions (BOP) is a production-focused division that provides management, branding, and royalty administration services for music producers^[14].

Hue Visual Platform

The Hue platform is a minimalist live performance series created to highlight African artists in intimate acoustic settings that emphasize vocal performance rather than elaborate stage production^[15].

Trench Fest

Trench Fest is a touring concert franchise that brought large-scale music events to cities such as Ibadan and Lagos, focusing on artists emerging from Nigeria’s street-pop scene^[16].

Giddy Girls

Giddy Girls is an all-female teen vocal collective introduced in 2025 that provides professional background vocals on several commercial music releases^[17].

• Executive of the Year (2023) – TurnTable Charts Power List^[7]

• Executive of the Quarter (Q1 2023) – TurnTable Charts

• Top 30 Music Executives in Nigeria – TurnTable Power List (2023, 2024, 2025)

• Dapper Group surpassing 1 billion total music streams by Q3 2024^[18]