'DO2DTUN' TALKS ALL ABOUT HIS SUCCESS IN EXPLICIT INTERVIEW

dotun

This guyz road to success is one that really amazes me to think of how small he started to where he is now. wow hard work really pays mehn. Oladotun Kayode popularly known as ‘Do2dtun’. Dotun became a dancer in his early teens, but never felt dancing was his passion. Instead, he saw dancing as a means to an end – a way to walk himself into the entertainment industry and it payed off big tym!

" The studio I actually sit in right now, I used to sleep on the floor back then. I don’t talk, I just play songs but I made sure I learnt every single thing that is done in a radio station"

read the rest of his very interesting interview...

Please tell us about yourself

A lot of people know me as ‘Do2dtun’ but my real names are Kayode Ojuolape Oladotun. I was born on April 8th, 1984 in Lagos. I attended Kemistar primary school, Surulere and then moved on to one of the iconic secondary schools in Nigeria, Mayflower school, Ikenne. I later proceeded to the Lagos State University’s School of Communications where I majored in Advertising and Public Relations.
At a point in my life, I attended NIIT where I studied HTML and SQL which to an extent makes me a qualified computer programmer. As a teenager, I was more into trying to get myself into the entertainment industry and I started as a dancer. I have featured in videos like DJ Zeez’s ‘Same Ni’, Dbanj’s ‘Why Me’ and also did stuffs with Goldie.
I was a kid who was never deprived of the basic necessities of life and my parents wanted me to stick to the fact that I needed to go to school and study a particular course. My dad is a building engineer and my mum is a nurse

What inspired you to pursue a career in radio broadcasting?

(sighs) My dad is someone who loves radio programmes. He is the kind of father that will call your attention to sit and watch the news and TV interviews. There was something magical about him buying me transistor radio sets while I was growing up and before I knew it, I got so addicted to it which often pissed him off. Before I bought a radio myself, I actually broke about fifteen of them and then I was so glued to Cool fm.
I actually joined most of the urban radio stations like Raypower, Rhythm, Cool fm when they started. As a kid, I will always talk to myself while walking down the road trying to work on my voice and my parents and the neighbourhood were disturbed.
When I got into the university, I started a dance group called Extreme. I was the only guy in school who will come to school nicely dressed and will bring a big radio (gesticulating the size). My colleagues and friends made me a laughing stock but trust me that was the genesis of my life. I will forever be grateful to one of the former chairmen of APCON, Mr. Nzeribe, one of my lecturers back then at the Lagos State University. He benevolently gave me three media outfits for my IT and luckily the station I picked is actually where I work right now. Before I knew it, I got a call from my boss then right there and then. I started as an intern the next day sometime in 2004 and that was the beginning of my life in Cool fm.

What were the challenges you encountered in your quest to becoming an OAP?

Ah! Dude, funny how this might sound, I used to check my life back then and now and you don’t just wanna know, you don’t wanna go there. People have turned me down, tagged me a ‘Studio Rat’ and there were times I was paid N5,000 monthly, did lots of free jobs dancing for artistes and they will still leave you stranded at the event venue, ran errands for the big dogs and their ladies at that time and a whole lot of embarrassing situations.
Sincerely speaking, it was a tough time grinding. It is funny, there was a time I used my backpack as a bed while boarding for people on the night show. The studio I actually sit in right now, I used to sleep on the floor back then. I don’t talk, I just play songs but I made sure I learnt every single thing that is done in a radio station. I can produce, reschedule music, I can tell you when a song is good or not and a whole lot more.
But u know, those were back in the days and sincerely, those things made me discover myself.

What was your lucky break?

There is this Yoruba saying that goes thus “ti teni kan o ba baje, ti enikan o le da”( If someone does not suffer a misfortune, the other person won’t be fortunate) . Sometime in 2005, a popular presenter left his show and I was asked to try it out. I will tell you what I have never told anyone and that is the fact that when I first jumped on the microphone, I used to write what I say on a piece of paper and I would quickly hide it when anyone comes in.
My first break was on the night show and it was also on the night show that I got my biggest break and popularity I enjoy today. During these odd hours, people who had problems i.e. gays, lesbians, bisexuals, divorcees, marital issues etc. were very willing to talk about it. I had to deal with them by comforting and advising them and this made me grow in my own mind.

What one factor, trait, or belief would you say has contributed most to your success?

For me, first is my energy, I am a spontaneous person that loves to think outside of the box. I don’t want to be like everybody else. I am the only on the radio in Lagos that will speak fluent English as a radio presenter and still try to infuse my native language, Yoruba into my conversations. I can always chip in cool stuffs that listeners don’t expect.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy the fact that I can sit down and entertain, inform as well as educate people which are basically the norms of media practice. I love the fact that I do what I love which is not that easy though a lot of people think it is. One needs to be a fast thinker because sometimes you will have the dullest interviews and people you have to project and bring the best out of them.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I will like to be a PR officer for a really big company. I want to be a content analyst for a big time oil company. It is still within my footage because PR is always about the people. A lot of oil companies we have in Nigeria try hard to get through to the people but it is not as expected. I am a super hype man (done stuffs for Henessey, Bacardi and a lot of gigs and parties and I even went with Iceprince on his concert in London).
I want to speak for a brand and honestly, I think we have very few good PR executives here in Nigeria.
Do you ever think of giving up media practice?
Not exactly, as long as it’s something that will make me talk and speak for the people, that is what I wanna do and you know journalism cuts across diverse sectors. I am presently auditioning for a reality show which is starting pretty soon.

What is your advice for aspiring media practitioners?

I want to say this from the top of my heart, always be yourself. Either you are a speaker, a writer or a scriptwriter, make sure anything you say or put on paper speaks. If you feel you love this and it is what you wanna do, be consistent in it and at a point when you realise that you are not good at this, please leave it and move on. Find something new, maybe that was never your calling.

Who is your inspiration/role model?

Tim Westwood, host of Pimp My Ride (UK). He is the only white guy who can interview anyone regardless of your race. He is very spontaneous and he finds it very easy to drive into your world. Howard Stan also inspires me.

Which Nigerian do you most admire and why?

I respect Femi Sowoolu’s fantastic voice (Gulder Ultimate Search voice over)

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Having to build the name Do2dtun as a brand, public speaker, hype man.

Who would you say have been the most influential person in your life and in what way?

Ah! My dad, Mr. Felix Bankole Kayode. He inspired me from my childhood years and supported my dreams. I often call him my information minister. Huge respect to the likes of Dan Foster and Olisa Adibua, they also inspired me a great deal.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a radio personality?

I was anchoring a show some years back and one of the established presenters back then came into the studio and yelled at me saying, “what the hell are you talking about!” and he switched off my microphone while the show was still on.

How do you relax?

I love to watch football with my friends and I support a club that has been breaking my heart for close to seven years now. I also love watching movies and partying which I do a whole lot. Thanks to my PA, Demola who makes sure he gets me on the radio the next day no matter where we go.

What are your thoughts about the standard of education in the country?

Poooooooor! All the things that I know right now, I learnt on the job. The educational standard in Nigeria is quite poor and I think we need to have more vocational schools where teenagers and youths can learn how to use their hands. These days, it is not always about what you studied at the higher institution but what you can do with your hands.

In recent times, Nigerians strive to take their children out of this country to get qualitative education which is not available here. You will be amazed by the amount Nigerians pay as tuition in countries like the UK, Cyprus, Malaysia and USA.

Charity Initiatives you were part of?

The most recent is the Walk against Domestic Violence which I was the host. I would also love to be a part of the ‘Slum to School’ advocacy (Future Awards winner for the best use of advocacy). I am open to anything good and the fact that I sit on the radio and try to solve people’s problems is also charitable even though we are paid to do so.

A piece of advice to the growing generation of Nigerians.

Girls stop being gruppies, guys stop hating but be the best at what you do, don’t lie to yourselves and stay happy though it’s hard to be in Nigeria and please don’t allow the society turn you into monsters.

Please do not be a part of making our society more decayed, but strive to make it better. Study well and make the best out of what you have.

From the entire team at Theblogdeck, I will like to thank you for opening up your world to us. May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows.

interview from the bloggdeck.com