Celebrated Nigerian-born Afrobeats artist and disc jockey DJ Cuppy is among the most educated international entertainers. She successfully pursued a second master’s degree from Oxford University despite her demanding career in the Naija music industry and abroad.
It was a delicate balance for her, studying during the day and entertaining her fans at night. The 31-year-old lost herself at some point but she never gave up. She says that Oxford University always challenged her intellectual growth and that alone kept her grinding to the last day.
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Who is DJ Cuppy?
Her birth name is Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola born in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the daughter of Nigerian billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, a big shot in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The ‘Green Light’ singer grew up in the posh suburbs of Lagos, Ikeja specifically where she schooled at Grange School. The jovial DJ left Ikeja for London at 13 for her GSCE education and A-Levels before joining King’s College to pursue a degree in economics and business.
Nigerian-born artist/music producer DJ Cuppy. Photo/Daily Times Nigeria
DJ Cuppy set the academic bar high for her younger sister Temi Otedola, now married to Nigerian artist and entrepreneur Mr Eazi with her two master’s degrees. The award-winning Nigerian DJ graduated with her first master’s in music from New York University in 2015. She then enrolled for her second master’s degree in African Studies at Oxford University years later and graduated in 2023.
Her father describes her as a brilliant daughter who he never had doubts with over her academic success. He shares an ideal with his firstborn daughter on intellectual growth through academics despite her music career paying her better than a corporate job.
Here is a summary of her childhood and education.
| Name | Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola alias DJ Cuppy |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Country of Birth | Nigeria |
| Date of Birth | November 11, 1992 |
| Age | 31 |
| Occupation | Artist/DJ/music producer/philanthropist |
| Highest level of Education | Master’s Degree |
| Institution | · King’s College London (Degree in Economics and Business)
· New York University (Master’s degree in Music Business) · Oxford University (Master’s degree in African Studies)
|
How Did DJ Cuppy Start Her Music Career?
An iPod gift by her parents when leaving Lagos for London for her GCSE education ushered her to a new world of music. The iPod had a huge collection of Nigerian songs meant to keep her close to home while studying in London. Incidentally, it drew her closer to another path where she felt compelled to learn how to deejay. She learnt the basics by observing entertainment joints in London and would later practice with a Virtual DJ program.
Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola alias DJ Cuppy. Photo/The Sun Nigeria
Cuppy’s shining moment came as a surprise at 16 when she flew to Lagos for a holiday. She was at a popular entertainment joint in Lagos and the club’s resident deejay couldn’t make it in time due to the city’s heavy traffic. The owner of the club asked who could temporality take over the djing booth and she didn’t hesitate to take up the challenge much as she was only a novice.
This incident pumped more confidence in her and that year, she dedicated herself to learning everything about disc jockeying. Her entertainment career straightened up when she clocked 17 and she has only gotten better in the last 14 years.
Besides earning a place as a brilliant female DJ on the international stage, she is an artist, music producer. DJ Cuppy has a unique genre catch which she calls neo-Afrobeats, a blended product of electro, Afrobeats and house music blend. It was her first experiment in her music production and her European fans received it well making her stick to the genre.
Where Does She Perform?
Cuppy performs in international concerts, corporate events home and away and in clubs back home and in London. Some of her most memorable gigs were in big fashion events in Lagos and other major cities in the world such as New York, Paris and Dubai. Her biggest deejaying events remain the following.
- Financial Times Luxury Summit in Mexico (2014)
- MTV Africa Music Awards in South Africa (2014)
- Tatler UK Magazine x Christie Inc Art Ball in London
- MTV2’s Uncommon Sense in Los Angeles (2015)
She made history with Cactus on the Roof, a rooftop party inspired by Ibiza in Spain. She launched in London before taking it home to Lagos and later to major African cities such as Accra and Cape Town. Dubai also has a lovely Cactus on the Roof story to tell.
Does Cuppy Have Collaborations and Albums?
She has collaborated with big international artists such as American R&B star Wycliffe Jean and rapper Megan The Stallion. Other reputable artists DJ Cuppy has collaborated with include:
- Zlatan Ibile (Nigeria)
- Wizkid (Nigeria)
- Rema (Nigeria)
- Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
- Tekno (Nigeria)
- Mr Eazi (Nigeria)
- Teni (Nigeria)
- Stonebwoy (Ghana)
- Dynamo (Ghana)
- Kwesi Arthur (Ghana)
Albums, EP and Music Mixes
Nigerian artists/producer DJ Cupper. Photo/Exquisite Magazine
Her most famous musical works including the popular ‘Gelato song’ – Extended Play (EP), albums and mixes include the following
- House of Cuppy mix
- Original Cuppy album
- House of Cuppy II EP
Her passion for Afrobeats saw her become a radio host for BBC 1Xtra where she popularized other major African genres such as Kwaito and house music. Further, she hosted Apple Music’s debut radio show dubbed Africa Now after its launch in 2020.
FAQs
1. Is DJ Cuppy married?
No, she is not married as of 2024. She was married to Rider Ryan Taylor, a famous British YouTube boxer but they separated after a few months.
2.Is it true that she is a vegan?
Absolutely. She revealed on X (then known as Twitter in 2020) that she only does vegan meals.
3. What is DJ Cuppy’s net worth?
She is worth $3000,000
