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Paul "Play" Dairo is a Nigerian R&B singer, songwriter, and music producer, best known for hit singles such as Angel of My Life, Forever, and You and Me. [1] [2] He is the son of the late I. K. Dairo, a Juju music legend who was the first African musician to receive an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II. [3]
Paul Play Dairo was born in Nigeria to Chief I.K. Dairo and grew up surrounded by music. [3] He initially studied Mechanical Engineering and briefly worked with Shell Petroleum before pursuing a full-time music career. [4]
Dairo rose to prominence after releasing a remix of his father's classic Mo So Rire, which caught the attention of Kennis Music. [4] [5] Under the label, he released Dairo Music Foundation Project 1 (1999) and Project 2 (2002), which produced the hit Forever. [5]
After leaving Kennis Music, he founded Playground Entertainment and released No.1 (2004) and Hitaville (2005), followed by Hero (2010). [6] His single Angel of My Life became a staple Nigerian R&B classic. [1]
Following a health challenge that forced a break from music, [2] Dairo returned with singles such as Renegade (2014), Best Thing (2014), Fool in Love (2016), Tell It to Me (2016), Kolo (2020), and a remake of Angel of My Life (2020). [7] [1]
Dairo has won multiple Headies Awards, including Best R&B Album, Artist of the Year, and Recording of the Year. [8] He has also received FAME Awards, AMEN Awards, and recognition from M-Net South Africa. [4]
In interviews, Dairo has spoken about health challenges that nearly ended his career and his determination to continue making music. [2] He has also publicly discussed royalty disputes with his former label, Kennis Music. [9]