DOTTi The Deity is Living Up to His Name
You may have heard of DOTTi The Deity before you knew his name. Maybe “Hello Sisi” or “Forever Sweet” caught your attention on TikTok, or you heard him on Basketmouth’s “A Ghetto Love Story,” Lodù’s “Wine \& Honey,” or Moelogo’s “Yoruba Healer.”
For DOTTi The Deity, music is less a career than a compulsion. He has been making it for 15 years, long enough to understand that the audience may not always arrive when the music does, but not long enough to stop believing they eventually will. “I’m always right, sometimes, I’m just early,” he says with a laugh.
Perhaps that ability to move comes from something deeper. DOTTi believes his name is a gift from the Almighty, while people around him began calling him Oosha because they connected with his musicality on a spiritual level. He says the name makes him feel like he has lived longer than his age suggests, and there is something similarly timeless about the music he makes. Fifteen years in, DOTTi The Deity is still moving, finding new rooms to enter and new ways to sound at home in them.
TTC: Your name is distinctive; it’s the kind that precedes you. How did you come up with the identity of DOTTi The Deity, and what does it mean to you?
DTD: I believe my name is a gift from the Almighty. People around me started calling me Oosha. I’m sure it's because they could connect to my musicality on a spiritual level. The name makes me feel like I’ve been here before, like I have lived longer than my age suggests.
TTC: You’ve had two back-to-back viral moments with “Hello Sisi” and “Forever Sweet." How have you been able to create songs that stick with people and connect so quickly?
DTD: To be honest, I focus on making great art. How people receive it is usually not within my control. I’m blessed to have had these viral moments. What that indicates is that as long I keep on making great art, these moments will find me.
TTC: I’d like you to break down your versatility for us. You gave us “Akoya” and you’re also the same person behind “Forever Sweet.” When you’re making records that sound so different from each other, what changes for you creatively?
DTD: Let me use an analogy. I have these different clothes from different designers in my wardrobe. Every time I go out, I pick a different shirt, I pair it with a different pair of pants and shoes and accessories. I look stylish everytime. These items are already there, I just style them according to my mood. The results always vary. My mood and the occasion is what changes creatively.
TTC: Your professional debut, “Jolly Christmas,” came out in 2019, so you’ve had several years to grow. What has changed about the way you make music, communicate with your audience, and approach the artiste you want to become?
DTD: I think some things have changed while some still remain the same. Since releasing Jolly Christmas, my name has evolved from just “Dotti” to “DOTTi The Deity”. I’ve also been able to work on different kinds of projects and with different kinds of people that I’ve been able to learn a lot from, and those learnings have bled into my music for sure. However, my sense of identity and the kind of music I want to make is still consistent; the kind of creative I want to be and how I want people that listen to my music to feel still remains the same. My goal is to soundtrack people’s lives and make life’s moments richer for listeners.
TTC: There’s clearly a lot that keeps you creating even after all these years. What inspires you, and what keeps you going when the music isn’t moving as quickly as you’d like?
DTD: I’m inspired by stories around me. From my own experiences to those of my friends, family and the world in general. Creating for me is like a compulsion. I don't know how to do anything else. I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and intentionally chose a road less travelled. So, even if the music isn’t moving as quickly, I’m still going to create. I know what I do has an audience and if they’ll find it sooner or later. I’m always right, sometimes, I’m just early!
TTC: You’ve shown that you can move between jazz, pop and other sounds quite naturally. Is there one of these sides of your artistry that you enjoy the most and could see yourself exploring for a very long time?
DTD: The DOTTi The Deity you know and hear is a product of all of those influences. I’m grateful to be able to move through these genres seamlessly, I consider it a superpower that allows me to be in rooms you’d typically not find someone that makes the kind of music I predominantly make. I can’t predict what type of music I’ll make tomorrow for example, however, one thing that’ll remain is the influence of my Yoruba cultural heritage. It’s something that I enjoy exploring and will continue to do so.
TTC: You’ve worked across very different projects, like Basketmouth’s ‘A Ghetto Love Story’ to recently released, Lodù’s ‘Wine \& Honey,’ and Moelogo’s ‘Yoruba Healer.’ Looking at those three experiences, what is one thing you bring into every feature that makes you feel like you’ve given the record your best?
DTD: Every record is a story and I think I bring my best when I think I’ve done justice to the story the song is supposed to tell. On features, I try my best to partner with the artiste to bring the vision for the song to life.
TTC: There have been comparisons between your sound and appearance and Beautiful Nubia, with some people even suggesting that you should make music with the veteran musician. How do you receive those comparisons, and is making music with him in the works?
DTD: Absolutely!!! Beautiful Nubia is such a huge influence on my music. I get the comparisons. It’s an honour to be mentioned in the same sentence with him. I could go on and on. And yes, making music with him is in the works now that I have said it.
TTC: You’ve built your own world as an independent artiste, eventually starting The Deity Music Ltd. and going on to have deals with Flytime Music and Sony. Looking back at that journey, what has building your own thing taught you, and would you still choose the independent route if you had to start all over again?
DTD: A moving man will eventually meet his fortune. I’m a moving man. Motion wan choke me…loool. I think it’s important to make the most of every opportunity presented to you in life. That’s what I’ve been doing. So if I’m being presented with a good record deal, I’ll make the most of it. Same thing if I have to do it independently.
TTC: A lot of your music is rooted in love, but ‘Cocoa Hue’ feels like an even warmer expression of that world. What inspired the album, and how did you approach bringing together such different voices from Adewale Ayuba and Shorae Moore to Made Kuti and LAYCON?
DTD: Love is the greatest. The album was inspired by my desire for people to feel and move with the feeling. The central idea for ‘Cocoa Hue’ is the richness of the African culture I am a part of. Across time, the featured artistes in their own rights, have contributed their quota to the game and still are. I knew they would be perfect for the task at hand. I’m very grateful that they indulged me and executed excellently.
TTC: Looking at the audience you’ve built and the kind of music they connect with, what kind of artiste do you always want to remain for them? And what else should they expect from DOTTi The Deity?
DTD: Thank you for this question. Like I said, “I’m a moving man“. I am the kind of artiste that wants to take his audience on a journey from the known to the unknown through an oddly familiar route. As to what to expect, I dunno yet. When we get there, we will all find out. But for now, let us dance.
TTC: Before we close this entry of TurnTable’s Discovery Diary, leave a sign-out message for readers who might just be discovering your music today.
DTD: Hi!!! My name is DOTTi The Deity. My Village People call me iRUNMS.
I make music for the future, inspired by the past. Either through the sound or a lyric, you will find yourself in the music. Don’t resist. Embrace it. It was made for you. Yeah…right there….lol. Let’s be friends. Tell me your name. Now that you’ve heard the music, tell me how you feel. Tell your friends too.
