Kennis Music Co-Founder Credits Late Dokpesi for Afrobeats' Global Rise
Dayo Adeneye, co-founder of Kennis Music, told the With Chude Podcast earlier this week that the late Raymond Dokpesi was instrumental in the global success of Afrobeats. Adeneye said Dokpesi, who passed away in 2023, challenged him and Kenny Ogungbe to think beyond immediate success and focus on long-term societal impact while they were living abroad. Dokpesi’s probing questions about their five- and ten-year vision convinced them to return to Nigeria, even sending them first-class tickets with the message: 'Come and play. Take a look around. If you like it, stay.'
That decision led to the founding of Kennis Music in 1998, which became a pioneering label that helped launch careers like 2Face Idibia, The Remedies, and Tony Tetuila. Adeneye stated that Dokpesi’s mentorship shaped their mission to export Nigerian culture globally, similar to Jamaica’s reggae export. The label’s work laid foundational groundwork for the modern Afrobeats explosion now seen internationally.
This account highlights how mentorship and long-term thinking by media executives like Dokpesi—founder of DAAR Communications—created infrastructure for Nigeria’s entertainment industry. It raises the question: Beyond the current stars, how many other unsung architects of Afrobeats deserve recognition for building the industry’s foundations?