The curious case of Dite Kamelli is proof that quality will almost always trump quantity. The versatile singer and songwriter released “Best Believe” on March 10, a track that is his first in four years and only the second official record of his music career. Yet he boasts 5,214 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 20,000 streams across all platforms in less than two weeks of his release. Of course, he has his label, AB records, to thank for a lot of the success he’s enjoying right now. But a label can seldom propel an artist to success without some underlying level of talent. And Dite Kamelli has a boatload of talent.
Born David Segun Makanjuola in Lagos, Dite Kamelli always takes pride in his humble beginnings. He was born into a Christian family and recalls that his interest in music was at least partially inspired by his church choir. He was something of a late bloomer, though, only finding his passion for music after his secondary school years. But since he found it, Dite Kamelli has not let go of his dream of making music that inspires his peers positively.
Dite Kamelli gave us the first official taste of his abilities as an artist on December 9, 2019, when he released “New Scene.” The fresh-faced singer brought an energetic flow to an uptempo instrumental in what was a fine first outing. The track earned him upward of 30,000 streams in total, a number made all the more impressive by the fact that he did it with a label. However, rather than follow up with more music, the Dite made a surprising decision to go on a sabbatical. He did put in work towards his self-development in that time and, equally importantly, bagged the much-needed label support in the form of AB Records. With the stage now set for him, Kamelli has set his sights on 2023 as the year the industry sits up and pays attention to him.
To that effect, he released “Best Believe” – his first track since signing with AB Records – in March, courtesy of production from Ebenezer N and mixing and mastering from STG. The track aims to inspire listeners to take charge of their lives, and he preaches his sermon on an Afropop instrumental. Dite Kamelli delivers another high-energy performance that is quickly becoming his trademark. His years in the shadows were worth it as well because we see a significant increase in composure and vocal control in this performance. Coupled with the new track came the announcement that his debut EP will hit streaming stores later this year. That’s a cause for excitement for all lovers of good music because this artist is surely one to watch out for. But don’t wait till the debut EP is released; get familiar with him now by streaming “Best Believe” on your preferred platform.