Kolade Dominate: A Decade on the Mic, A Legacy in the Making”

By Sola Adepitan

Kolade Dominate has been on the scene for a couple of years, where music, culture, and the airwaves meet. Born in Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria, his voice would wander down boulevards in a neighborhood many years before becoming a familiar sound on the nation’s airwaves. Adolescent voice-over and music expertise, which initially served as a form of recreation, evolved into a career of determination, resilience, and an unconventional set of skills that captured an audience.

In 2014, he remixed Rihanna’s “Diamonds” in a remake that generated early buzz, followed by the release of “Dominate,” which was produced by Puffy Tee and received maximum rotation. He followed with Dominate 2.0, assisted by Oritsefemi, before releasing Olofofo with ID Cabasa. All his releases did blur the line between recording artist and broadcaster, proof that his scope extended far beyond the studio booth. Music, as well, was his calling card—a result of the same ethos that guided his radio playlists: crafting sound that communicated.

The music helped create the myth, but the awards confirmed his place. He won the On-Air Personality of the Year award during the 2017 MAYA Awards and later won the Eminence Award in 2018. He was awarded the Cool Wealth Award in 2017 and in 2020 and has become a top voice on the airwaves in Nigeria. His journey hit a new peak with The Beatz Awards: first a nomination in 2021, followed by a win in 2024, proof of his tenacity in an age where usefulness and popularity are likely to fade as rapidly.

Kolade’s story is not one of endurance—it’s one of timing. Radio Nigeria is in a personality-driven period, where not only are listeners listening for music, but also for the voice that explains it. In that sense, Kolade is not simply an OAP—he’s part of a broader cultural phenomenon, one that mirrors the way American talk radio or British BBC hosts emerged as larger-than-life figures. His radio persona is as much a personal brand as a commercial strategy.

That duality necessitated his next chapter. Kolade went beyond being an expert in the practice of programming; he went on to become General Manager of Lasgidi 90.1 FM in January 2025. That shift was not just a career advancement—it was symbolic, a recognition that his charm and vision could not just steer programming but the overall direction of a station. That was the juncture at which his voice became the soundtrack and the strategy.

More than ten years since his first turn on the mic, Kolade Dominate has etched himself as a decade-long figure in Nigeria’s radio waves. It is an exception to reinvention and proof of resilience, proof that relevance is not a question of fortune but of reinvention. From impoverished Ijebu origins to national fame, he is now included in the new soundscape of Nigeria—a voice that has held fast, reinvented, and would not be silenced.