Award-winning and relevant, D’banj has come a long way from his time in London where he worked as a security guard, before moving to Lagos in 2004 to chase music.

Best known internationally for his 2012 hit single ‘Oliver Twist’, D’banj shares his life story, detailing his personal views on his rampant success, and longevity.

“"You got to love the hustle, you got to love the fame, you got to love the shows. You just got to love the ups and downs.

“I grew up living in every part of Nigeria," he explains, "loving the military... I wanted to be a superhero, I'm telling you, the first black superhero.

"Now I'm still doing the same thing. Instead of carrying the gun to save the world, I carry a microphone."

D’banj further went emotional, sharing the story of his childhood, being raised as the son of a military man, and how a family tragedy – the death of his elder brother in a plane crash – was the turning point in his decision to abandon dreams of joining the military, to pursue music as a lifelong career.

“Ten years ago if you told your mom after school that you wanted to be a musician, she would probably report you to your pastor or your Imam.

"I grew up living in every part of Nigeria," he explains, "loving the military... I wanted to be a superhero, I'm telling you, the first black superhero.

"Now I'm still doing the same thing. Instead of carrying the gun to save the world, I carry a microphone."

In the aftermath of his brother's death, D'banj was going through his siblings' possessions when he came across a harmonica, his go-to instrument today.

"I picked up the harmonica and went to school with it," he says. "Everywhere I went, anything I had, I tried to play it. That's how the love of music came."

D’banj further went on to detail his philanthropic endeavors, and more. Watch the full interview with CNN here.