THE RISE OF FEMI DAPSON, THE MAN BEHIND MOST AFROBEATS MUSIC VIDEOS YOU LOVE 

BY EMMANUEL CHIDERA AMOKE

Behind every great video is a team of professionals who work tirelessly to bring the content to life. These behind-the-scenes heroes are often unsung, but their contributions are essential to the final product. For every famous on-camera personality, there is a team of producers, directors and other professionals working to make the magic happen. Without them, our favorite videos would not exist.

Imagine videos such as Burna Boy’s “City Boy,” Rema’s “Calm Down,” and Kizz Daniel’s “Cough.” Also, Pheelz featuring BNXN in “Finesse,” Mavins’ “Overdose,” Omah Lay’s “Woman,” Blaqbonez’s “Back in Uni,” Joeboy’s “Body and Soul,” Mr Eazi’s “Wena,” Ayra Starr’s “Beggie Beggie,” and Reekado Banks’ “Ozumba,” among many others, which have garnered widespread acclaim. Yet, fans remain unfamiliar with Femi Dapson, the talent behind their production.

Femi Dapson is a Lagos born producer who dabbled into video production years after looking to discover his life’s purpose. He is one of four siblings, with his father working as a commercial bus driver and his mother as a food vendor.

Raised predominantly in uncompleted buildings, a significant testament to his remarkably humble upbringing, Femi hoped from meanear jobs such as painting houses and clearing bushes to working as a hotel attendant, followed by a stint as a primary school teacher. Subsequently, he worked at a factory that manufactured herbal alcoholic beverages. He had also worked as a cleaner in his church, before becoming an assistant secretary to the son of the overseer at Winners Chapel.

Femi’s fortunes began to shift when he joined a photographer friend who he managed at the time. His first foray into video production occurred when one of his roommates, Macjreyz, secured video sponsorship from Mr Eazi following a freestyle to one of Mr Eazi’s tracks. Femi recalled that his photographer friend suggested he could handle the video shoot. Being the most business-oriented among their group of eight talented friends sharing a living space, Femi assumed the role of producer for the video, marking it as his very first production endeavor.

From producing that first video, the crew got another contract to do the video for Lil Kesh’s “YAGI Level” then for Zinoleesky’s “Kilofeshe” and another for LAX’s “Go Low.” 

His company, Nouvelle Films, started when their contract with a production company overseas expired.

Femi’s work as a producer has made him a highly sought-after talent in the music industry. His hard work and dedication have paid off, leading to the creation of some of the most popular music videos of the year. With his talent and drive, there’s no doubt that Femi has a bright future ahead of him.