15 Years, Ice Prince, And ‘Chunesday Africa’: DJ Dino Speaks On Growth, Grit, And Evolution

15 Years, Ice Prince, And ‘Chunesday Africa’: DJ Dino Speaks On Growth, Grit, And Evolution

For Dare Ezekiel Ojo, better known as DJ Dino, music was never a career choice. It was childhood programming.

Dare Ezekiel Ojo a.k.a DJ Dino

“Basically being a DJ was something that I had been in love with from childhood,” he said in an exclusive interview.

“When I was growing up, my mother refused to buy television. Instead she bought a radio because I stayed with her. Whenever I came back from school, I listened to radio and listened to so many DJs. I fell in love with music. That translated into me falling in love with DJing,” he said.

Dare Ezekiel Ojo a.k.a DJ Dino

Born around four decades ago and hailing from Oyo State, DJ Dino has evolved from spinning records in a studio opposite the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ) to becoming a serial entrepreneur, talent manager, and the host of one of Lagos’ biggest weekly events. Over 15 years later, he is still on the decks; this time for Chocolate City star, Ice Prince.

DJ Dino’s journey began far from the glamour people associate with DJs today.

“I went to work at Back to Back Studio around Ojodu Grammar School. I worked as a studio DJ. I used to do things for people. From there I moved to Big Brother Cafe in Ogba, Lagos, opposite the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ). I was there for about a year,” he recalled.

The turning point came at Niteshift Coliseum on Salvation Road, Opebi, Lagos; once described as the number one club in Africa.

“That was where I met Gov’ Ken Olumese. If you worked in the Coliseum then, you must be one of the top DJs around. Niteshift Coliseum happened to be the number one club in Africa. We used to wear suits to work as DJs then. We used to dress like pilots to do DJ work there. I worked there for about a year,” he said.

From Coliseum, he moved to Brilla FM, the sports and music station owned by Larry Izamoje.
“I was there for four years,” Dino noted. It was radio that gave him structure.
“*Radio will help you. I tell people that people still listen to radio. They will know you by your name. It will help you in your profession. They will give you discipline. You will resume at the right time. If you are to be there from 8am to 10am, you have to be there, or else you will miss out unless someone covers for you. It will give you punctuality and make you very prompt. It will give you discipline,” he explained.

After Brilla FM, life changed in 48 hours.
“The day I submitted my resignation letter at Brilla FM, I got the job with Ice Prince the second day. On that day, I went on album tour with Ice Prince. He gave me so many opportunities. He allowed me to grow and allowed me to evolve. I have been with him now for over a decade,” DJ Dino said.

He described his relationship with the rapper as family.
“He is like family to me. He is God-sent. He allowed me to do my things under him. He watched me grow under him. When I was working under him then, I was very timid. It was a whole new thing for me. Ice Prince gave me the opportunity to enter an airplane for the first time in my life,” he said.

The bond went beyond artiste and DJ.
“We have gone beyond artiste-DJ relationship. I don’t know of any other relationship like that in the field. We have been like that for a long time.

“We have been together just like Charlie Shee and Rude Boy. They have handled many things that are beyond DJ and artiste. As a DJ, you need to go beyond the job and evolve. Just like DJ Tunz does for Wizkid. They have grown beyond work. They are now brothers,” he said.

Dino also had a brief stint with Kiz Daniel.
“I worked with Kiz Daniel for a year and one thing led to another, I had to go back to Ice Prince,” he said.

At that time, music almost pulled him in. A single titled “One Ticket.”
“I was supposed to do music when I was with Kiz Daniel. That was supposed to be my first official single, but he decided to drop it himself. The song was called ‘One Ticket.’ Even at a point, Kiz Daniel almost allowed me to release it, but he just felt that I should drop it, that he was not giving me anymore,” he revealed.

Asked who wrote it, he answered: “He wrote everything. He gave me the song, but at the end of the day, we dropped it. It was supposed to be a single. Since then, I just dropped it and decided to do my thing and forget about music.”

Why didn’t he pursue music? Shyness.
“I just got stuck in the DJ thing, building myself. I just got stuck in wanting to be better. Right from time, I had been a shy person. I don’t want to be on camera. I don’t like to be on film. When people bring cameras to me, I am always shy. Music had never been something that I really wanted to do,” he said.

Today DJ Dino is not just a DJ. He is a “serial entrepreneur” and talent manager.
“I still do DJ. It’s a life thing. So, it’s there for life. Most times, I DJ for Ice Prince whenever they are going out. I still do talent hunt,” he said.

He also runs a clothing brand, Super Cool Cat.
“I have a clothing project, Super Cool Cat, that I do. That is another thing that I do as an entrepreneur. I am not there physically, but I am in control of the business,” he said.

His philosophy is diversification.
“For me, life is always about you finding a way to balance things. I am from the school of thought that believes that you cannot survive by doing just one thing. You just have to diversify into a lot of things.

“As I am doing DJ, we have been able to find a balance around other things. When I am not busy, I make sure that I do some other things. When I am around, I am around. Or else I do some things to make sure that I keep going without complicating things,” he said.

Comparing the craft then and now, Dino said the job has completely transformed.
“ Disc Jockey is no longer like it used to be; it is now about technology, science, and a whole lot of things. Things have changed. I always advise young people to evolve around their craft and improve on it. You cannot stay the way you were then,” he said.

He painted the contrast:
“That time, it had to do with much work. When you are playing, you open your CD rack and slot in the track you want to play, you close it, you scroll. But now it is computer science. Now, AI can do many things for you. AI can do music for you. You don’t have to go to any producer to do things for you. I can produce music where I am now.”

The DJ ecosystem has also professionalized.
“DJ is evolving. You have your own manager, videographer. You need to have your photographer, content creators. It is now beyond being a DJ. It’s a whole lot of things. You must be very sound as a DJ. Now you see DJs having their own shows, having their own events. I have my own major event that I do every Tuesday. I have close to 2,000 people coming there every week,” he said.

“*DJs are now booked the way artistes are booked. It was not like that in the past. You book DJs with their managers and others. DJs now have sound engineers and stuff like that. In those days, you would be the one to set up the sound, to do so many things, to arrange the set. But now it has evolved and we are treated like artistes.*”

Dino broke down the difference between the three DJ worlds he has lived in.
“Radio will give you discipline. They would not allow you to do any dirty thing. You would also meet people, meet artistes. If an artiste comes to the station for an interview, he can do a jingle for you. So you have so much to benefit from a radio station as a DJ,” he said.

On live shows: “Live shows would give you exposure. You would meet different people and have more ideas.”

And touring: “Then the artistic one. You would be on the road. That would give you exposure. You would see the world. Now, artistes don’t travel without their DJs. If your artiste is touring the world, as a DJ, you will have the opportunity to see the world with him. You would also use the opportunity to build your own career, drop your songs and meet a lot of people.”

Like every career, DJ Dino has had rough patches. His lowest?
“It’s a very tough one. The lowest point in my career, I can’t even remember now. But it has to do with when I was working with Niteshift Coliseum. There were a whole lot of issues. When I wanted to leave, I had to beg the man. I didn’t want to lose my job. They were paying us N12,500. The man later said that I should leave. I was just helpless then. I didn’t know where to go,” he said.

His highest point is happening right now — his weekly event.
“So far so good, my highest point was when I started my gig Tuesday, ‘Chunesday Africa.’ We are now in a bigger spot where 1,500 to 2,000 people could gather. On our first day, rain fell, yet it was sold out. I was happy that I could do my own thing without getting help from anyone. We had something new without working for anybody,” he said.

The event is now three years old.
“Last week Tuesday, Peter of P-Square came to perform. It’s something that is very organic. It’s something we want to become the biggest weekly event in the world,” he said.

Dino is aiming global.
“I want to be a bigger DJ. The number one DJ selling Africa to the world and organize the biggest event. We are planning a festival this year to achieve that. I want to work on myself and be the biggest DJ in the world.”

On the debate that “school is not needed,” Dino was blunt.
“Talent is what I would choose over school. Going to school is important, but you can go to school and not be talented and you will suffer. That is just the truth. And you can be talented and not go to school and make it in life,” he said.

He used influencer, Peller as an example.
“I will give you Peller as a case study. Whatever anybody might say about him, he is rich. He has money and Peller can afford to employ managers to manage his wealth. He can afford to employ the best doctors and do whatever he wants to do with his money. You can be intelligent and go to school and not make it and you will suffer,” he said.

But he also warned about the industry’s dark side.
“I just feel that a whole lot of people add things to what they do to look good and to live a good life and to look big. You now see scammers are being celebrated. Whatever you do to get money, they don’t care once you have money… Is it not the same work that we are doing?”

He advised new DJs to package themselves.
“It’s not enough to be a DJ. You should package yourself. You should have a manager, a car. Even if you don’t have a car, take a ride. You have to look good. Package yourself and make yourself attractive. ”

Despite years in an industry known for female admirers, DJ Dino says he is settled.
“I am married and I am off the market now,” he said with a laugh.
“I just thank God. I got married in February 2026 to somebody I have known for about 16 years. I am happily married. I am focused,” he added.

Who does he look up to? One name stood out.
“I look up to Black Coffee. I love him and watch him a lot,” he said.

From a little boy deriving inspiration from listening to radio to a man commanding 2,000 people every Tuesday in Lagos, DJ Dino’s story is one of evolution. As he puts it: “Things can never be the same.” And for him, that’s exactly the point.