Inetimi Timaya Odon is a Nigerian artist whose music prowess has seen him gain fame and win numerous awards in his illustrious career. The founder of DM Records has 28 singles and 9 albums under his belt. He is reportedly worth ₦ 6 billion.
Recently, the award winning artist made headlines after tweeting that he wanted to pay someone who will be shaking hands on his behalf.
“I want to employ someone that will be in charge of greeting people on my behalf and will also be giving handshakes.”
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Background a dedication
The artist was born in Port Harcourt on 15th August 1980 as the youngest in a family of 15 children. His father was a banker and his mother a trader.
He attended Assemblies of God Nursery and Primary School. For high school, he began at Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt. Afterwards, he went to Lagos with a few of his siblings and attended Lagos’ Ikeja Grammar School. After secondary school, he went back to Port Harcourt to pursue banking and finance but dropped out after the first semester.
Music Career
He returned to Lagos and joined a hip hop group. Three years later, he left the group to launch his solo career. His first single Dem Mama was a success and was followed by the release of his first album True Story.
In 2008, he released his second album called Gift and Grace. The same year, his album won Album of the Year at Nigeria Music Awards, and Best Reggae/ Dancehall album at the Headies Awards. His third album, De Rebirth, was released two years later.
He was then featured in the song Kokoroko by Kefee. The song won Best Collaboration of the year at the 2010 Headies Awards
In 2011, he released a collaborative album called Long Life and Prosperity (LLNP). In 2012, he released another album titled Upgrade.
In 2014, he released a 20-truck album called Epiphany. His EP called Chulo Vibes was released in 2019 and featured collaborations with artists like Ali Kiba, and Burna Boy.
Timaya set up a record label called DM Records Limited. The record has nurtured various artists including Patorqnking.
In 2011, the Inter Religious and International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP) appointed him their peace ambassador.