NBG Africa sat down withAkinlemibola Daniel Omotoyosi, also known as Danpapa GTA. He created the viral TikTok song, ‘No Go Thief For Ikeja’, which quickly became a trending sound with a million listens on Spotify and thousands of people, including celebrities like Ayra Starr, using the sound in their videos. What is behind the making of a viral song, and who is Danpapa?
Hi, Danpapa! Let’s meet you!
So my stage name is Dan Papa because when I was a child, my mother’s brother-in-law used to call me Papa, or “Small Papa”. My real name is Daniel, and since I am no longer a child, it’s Danpapa now. I am 20 years old. I grew up in Ikotun, but I enjoyed visiting places like Ikeja and Agege. I have one sister, and I am the last child of the family.
How has the journey been? Were you born into comfort, or is this a story of “from grass to grace”?
It is not exactly a story of extreme struggle. All I know is that when I was younger, things were very comfortable. But the situation changed (you know how the country is), and my father had to leave his job to become a full-time pastor. 
Did you grow up like a typical pastor’s child? Was there a lot of church and constant prayer?
Yes, definitely. I will not lie; I did not miss church services. Currently, I do not attend as often; may God forgive me (laughs) But when my father was living with us, there was no way I would miss church.
Is your father supportive?
No. I believe the last time he came to Lagos was in 2024, early last year. He stayed for only two days and left. He just came to visit the family. My parents actually support my choice of career. My father might be concerned that I am singing secular music, but he has never once complained about it.
Before your song blew up, what were you doing?
I have always made music, but it was not possible to focus solely on music, especially when it was not making money. I had other businesses. At one point, I was a cobbler making shoes. Then I started selling sneakers. That was how I earned my living. Now, I mostly spend my time recording people for a fee or mixing songs for my friends. They pay me for my work. I’ve always been trying to make money.
The title of your hit song, ‘No Go Thief for Ikeja’, was it meant as a joke, or were you addressing a deeper issue?
Honestly, I did not plan to make a song about that specifically. It just came to my mind, and I simply turned it into a song. It was based on the experience of seeing how people are treated when caught stealing. I made it more or less for fun and did not expect people to take it so seriously.
The lyric is ‘Ikeja no be Mecca’ Why Mecca? Many people thought it was Berger
Because if you are in Berger or anywhere else in Lagos and you steal, you will be beaten. In Mecca, the highest consequence might be an arrest. I have never been there, so I do not know for sure, but it also rhymes well.
Were you surprised that it became so popular?
Obviously, I was surprised. I didn’t expect that mainstream artists will use my sound and support me: some of them texting me like, “Yo, I love your sound” and stuff like that. I didn’t expect that. I felt like if I dropped the song, it was just going to grow little by little, you feel me? I didn’t expect to do this so fast. But I’m very happy to do it; my work is actually paying off.
What was the moment you realised your dream was becoming a reality?
I was on the mainland staying with my mother because I was sick. Every time I walked around, people would call out the lyrics of the song. I realised I could no longer walk unnoticed. My mother’s friends even mentioned seeing me on TikTok. When I saw mainstream artists posting the song on social media, I knew the song had reached a very high level.
What genre would you call your music?
Personally, I do not know which genre to call it yet. I believe it will be defined naturally. For now, I am just creating. Some call it Afropop; others call it Afrofusion. Whatever people choose to call it is fine, as long as they enjoy the music.
Do you think luck played a role in the song’s success?
When people say it might be luck, I disagree. Before that song, I was staying in a hotel to record because it would get too noisy at night if I did it at my mother’s house. I was recording many songs consecutively. I recorded all night until my ears hurt. I had to think deeply about the beats. After finishing that song, I fell asleep because I was so tired, then woke up to start many others back to back. I looked very sick when I returned home; my mother was very concerned because I had not eaten. I was just focused on the work.
Who is your favourite among the big 3 and what lessons have you learned from Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido?
I appreciate all three of them. They all have unique sounds. I do not like the habit of people saying they hate one artist to support another. Why can we not just enjoy the music without having issues with the person? I like all three of them.
You mentioned in an interview that you are afraid of losing your relevance. How do you plan to prevent that?
I believe one must remain calm and not let popularity cause pride. Even when I see negative comments online, I prefer not to reply, because one wrong word can make people see you as ungrateful, and they might stop supporting your music. As long as you make good, unique music, you remain relevant. I plan to stay active and continue coming up with new ideas.
Who is the most popular person to use your sound?
There are many. Ayra Starr, Mr Eazi, and Don Jazzy have all posted my song.
Are you an independent artist, are you signed to a label, or do you want to be signed?
Sometimes there are things I want to do where I feel like, “Ah, it’s money that’s stopping me,” and I feel like if I had a label I would have someone backing me up. The freedom to be able to create. I don’t mind getting signed to a label, as long as it’s something that pays me and is not going to affect my career. Even if you give me $1,000,000 and it’s something I don’t want, I won’t sign it. If it pays me and it’s not going to affect my career, I’m cool; I’ll sign.
In five years, what would success look like for you?
Success would be being able to afford anything I want without financial stress. The freedom that comes with being financial stable and not worrying about money. I would be able travel to any country and I’ll have money to take care of my family and even retire from music if I want to.
What should we expect from you next?
I have many plans. I think I currently have almost 50 unreleased songs. I could release an album tonight if I chose to, but I want to take my time.
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