Celebrating the life of

DJ Babus

Babjide

1987-2021

Babatunde Bashir-Bello, better known as DJ Babus, was one of a kind. He was a kind, sweet and humble soul. His laugh, energy and his love for life were contagious. He meant so much to so many and had the incredible ability to make each and every relationship deep and special in its own way. With friends and family, he was the glue that held everyone together.

From a very young age, he knew he would have a significant impact on the world around him and in the time he had with us, he touched so many more lives and taught us so much more than even he could have imagined.

He had been surrounded by music his whole life. He was born into a musically gifted family, with his father Tunde Bello, a DJ in university, his mother, Mrs. Nadia Bashir-Bello sang in the choir, and his uncle Ahmed Uwhubetine, owner of multiple lounges.

DJ Babus is the youngest of 3 children and has always moved to his own beat. He is survived by his lovely sisters, Nani Courten and Nabila Bashir-Bello who are both computer engineers for fortune 500 companies. He has four nephews Kunmi, Demi, Nathan and Nicholas and a niece Reni. His father is a retired Civil Engineer and his mother is a Proprietress of two schools.

DJ Babus attended Bellina Nursery and Primary school in Lagos State. For his secondary school education, he attended Adesoye College Offa, Kwara State, and went on to study Information System and Technology Management in the USA at the University of Baltimore.

DJ Babus’ topnotch DJ skills were honed by his attentive study of the finesse of various local and international DJs, he also dedicated time to watching DJ videos online and practicing. He soon became skillful in the craft and began DJing professionally at his college’s radio station - WMBC - in Maryland, USA. There, he learned more about various music genres, developed a love for House music and quickly rose to the rank of Head Programmer within a year of joining the station.

It was also at WMBC radio that DJ Babus first got a taste of the recording studio which marked the beginning of an exciting phase in his life. He developed his skills working with various artists across the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area and after college, he attended a program in Ohio for a music engineering and production program. He later moved back to Nigeria in 2012.

On return to Nigeria, he first began working with a top label as an engineer, then joined KnightHouse Creative as a Talent Manager. He also DJ’d at While at KnightHouse, he learned the complexities of the Nigerian music and entertainment industry and worked with entertainers such as Mo Cheddah, Phenom, Ikechuckwu, Peter Clarke, and Beverly Osu as a talent/road manager.

DJ Babus performed at various clubs, hotels, and events in Nigeria and the East Coast of America. He worked with reputable brands like Samsung, Ciroc, Baileys, Budweiser, Radisson Blu, Sheraton Ikeja, Campari, Puma, Kinabuti, Savannah Cider, and much more. He also performed at parties and concerts for Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Akon, Maxwell and the Migos. Although he built his reputation on House music, DJ Babus played a wide variety of music including Afro Pop, Hip Hop, Old School Classics, Funk, Dancehall and so much more.

One major highlight of his career was being selected by Ebony Life TV as the official DJ for the “Legacy Lives On” Mandela Tribute concert where he performed alongside top Nigerian-international acts such as 2face Idibia, D’banj, Nneka, and Tiwa Savage. As well as brands such as Chicken Republic, Coca Cola, The Beat 99.9fm, Eko Hotel, and Suites. The concert was the first time DJ Babus played an active role in organizing an event of such magnitude.

In 2013, DJ Babus launched Fat Boi Studios, a multimedia studio located in Lagos where he worked as a producer and engineer. He wrote and produced music and radio commercials for highbrow clients such as Keystone Bank, Yung L, Phenom, Ikechukwu, Peter Clarke, Boogey, Fefe, Poe Vava furniture, N6, Wana, and Tosyn Bucknor to name a few.

He is the founder of Crates and Vinyl Entertainment, an entertainment and media company. He is also the founder of Music on Music, a blog dedicated to the engine, brain, and force behind the entertainment industry, which also serves as a platform where news, information, tutorials, guides, and reviews are provided on music. Between 2014 and 2016, DJ Babus worked as the Resident DJ at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, and at the Intercontinental Hotel. From 2016, he worked as the Resident DJ at RSVP Restaurant and Lounge till his passing in January 2021.

In February 2016, DJ Babus released his first EP titled “Euphoria”, which featured 6 songs. Some of his favorites from the EP include “Morning Slide” and “Be Together”. In 2018, he released a single titled “With You”. In August 2020, he released an instrumental titled “Can You Stay?” and in November 2020, DJ Babus dropped a new song ‘Jollof on the Beach’ which he produced and sang on.

DJ Babus enjoyed spending time with his friends and family and enjoyed a lot of TV shows and movies. Some of his best shows include The Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield, and Breaking Bad.

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