Director K is one of the videography heavyweights in Nigeria; but one whose story puts to doubt all the philosophies about life and greatness. This is someone who never wanted to be a videographer, but who went ahead when the opportunity presented itself, and made it work. The recognition and praise he has received for his work proves that he has an abundance of talent.
Talent and know-how are not enough; Director K has built a reputation for having an excellent work ethic. Having repeatedly denounced lazy artists, he has arrived at a point in his career where he wants to leave a legacy; he wants to see the Nigerian music industry bigger and better than when he came on board.
A core professional; Director K has much to offer to the coming generation about what it takes to be successful. There is much to learn from the life and times of this great man who has achieved so much, despite his young age.
Director K
Director K Profile
Name: Aremu Olaiwola Qudus
Stage Name: Director K
Age: 28 Years (2022)
Date Of Birth: November 13, 1993
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Place of Birth: Lagos State
Director K Biography
Director K was born in Lagos, on November 13, 1993. He was born into a polygamous family; his father was quite well to do, but with several wives and children, he did not have the time or tolerance to raise Director K in a way to maximize his talents.
Director K attended primary and secondary schools both in Lagos, and when it was time for higher studies he went to Yaba College of Technology. However, in an interview he granted, he stated that it was never his intention to pursue higher studies. He stated that he saw the people around him; many of whom had graduated, but were unable to secure jobs. He further cited the incessant strikes as a reason why he just did not find the prospects encouraging.
At the Yaba College of Technology he was not a particularly bright student; he hardly wrote any notes, and he didn’t do assignments. He said that the attitude of a lecturer, when he tried to do some assignments, completely turned him off, and so he decided to drop out so as to pursue other things.
His decision to quit school angered his parents; his father disowned him completely. With the distraction of pleasing his parents out of his way, Director K could now focus on developing his potentials.
Career Development
Director K, career was not progressive, it was rather sudden and hurried. He had an iPhone 6, and immediately put it to use as a professional camera. He reached out to everyone on his contact list; announcing his availability for any kind of videography work. He had a few friends who were budding musicians; and this helped him to quickly get clients for his videography work.
Even then, there were challenges to contend with. He explained that on one of his early jobs for an artist, his phone memory was full, and so he had to delete some files to free up some memory. In error, he deleted the client’s video, even after staying up through the night to make edits. He said he cried himself to sleep, and called the client in the morning to explain what had happened.
Thankfully, the client understood, and agreed to shoot the whole video again. Two things worked for him; Director K is a very creative as a videographer, and he is very good at maintaining relationships. He brings out exciting aspects in his videos- details that many other filmmakers miss, or do not care to incorporate.
Teni was one of the first big name artists he worked with; at that time she had just returned from the US, and was just about to enter the Nigerian Music Industry. Director K shot her first video, and retained the friendship even when she became famous. This boosted his career; brought him to the notice of top music artists in the country as a talented and capable film maker. Still with Teni, he shot “Case” which was a banger, and that was where everything changed for the better.
The next big name to work with Director K was Skibii; he shot the video for Sensima. The song too was a banger, and so with the videos of two hit songs under his belt, it became clear to Director K that he had the talent needed to make a success of his chosen career path.
Jobs started flowing in regularly; he has worked with Timaya, Tiwa Savage, Fireboy DML, Zlatan, Adekunle Gold, Davido, Dice Ales, Burna Boy, Patoranking, Naira Marley, and Wizkid. He is one of the biggest names when it comes to making music videos in the country; foreign stars even line up for his services.
Some The Videos He Has Done Include:
“Case” by Teni
“Big Engine” by Skiibii
“Monalisa” by Lyta
“Mo lowo” by L.A.X
“1 Milli” by Davido
“Wonderful” by Burna Boy
“Essence” by Wizkid featuring Tems
“Ozumba Mbadiwe” by Reekado Banks
“Insecure” by Sauti Sol
“Suzannah” by Sauti Sol
“Promise” by Adekunle Gold feat. Simi
“Move” by Bad Boy Timz
As one can tell from this list above, it was the faith placed in him by Teni and her management that really brought out the talent of Director K as a videographer. This brought in other jobs starting with Skibii, and from there he has probably worked with every artist worth his salt.
In addition to his work as a videographer making music videos; Director K has also worked with several top brands in making videos for television commercials. Some of the brands he has worked with, and the videos are:
In 2020 he made a video for DStv; it was titled: “Football Is Back”
In 2020 he made a video for DStv; it was titled: “Festive”
In 2021 he made a video for Kellogg’s; it was titled: “World’s Number One”
In 2021 he made a video for Havana Club; it was titled: “Skepta X Havana Club 2.0”
In 2021 he made a video for Munch iT; it was titled: “Non Stop Munch”
List of Awards Received By Director K
At The Headies 2020, he won Best Music Video for Davido’s song titled 1 Milli
At the African Entertainment Awards USA 2021, he won the Best Music Video for Wizkid’s song titled Essence, in which he featured Tems.
Director K has also won several other awards, and also garnered several nominations.
Director K shooting a music video
Director K Price per Video Shoot
Director K presently charges around 3 million naira per videography job; although prices may vary depending on circumstances at the time. Sometimes, he can take much less, depending on some factors.
He stated that one thing that motivated him to keep going was the fact that he could potentially help make artists successful through his video production. He said that money is not the main thing that keeps him going; but the joy he gets from helping a hard working and talented musician to rise in the industry.
Director K Age
Director K was born November 13, 1993; that makes him 28 years in 2024 at the time of writing this report.
Director K State
Director K’s parents hail from Kwara State in Southwestern Nigeria; however he was born and raised in Lagos State. Director K is therefore a bonafide Lagosian.
Director K Family
Director K was born into a polygamous, Muslim family; he has many brothers and sisters. As at the time of writing this post, he is unmarried, and has not even hinted at being in a relationship with anyone.
Director K House
Director K lives in a well furnished house in the Lekki area of Lagos. In an interview he stated that house was quite expensive. However, there are no further details available at this time. This may be as a result of safety concerns, and the need to protect his privacy.
Director K Net Worth 2024 – $400,000
Director K is estimated to be worth an estimated $400,000. The money comes from his music video production, as well as his work with top brands in shooting their commercials. Furthermore, he is a social media influencer; he does promotional social media posts for fashion brands.
Director K has a word of advice for the younger generation; he advises that they do not shy away from challenges. He states that it was providence that made him the important videographer that he is today; but that it would never have been possible if he had not had the mindset of overcoming challenges. Furthermore, he said that for five years (from 2015 to 2020) he really did not make much money from his work.
Therefore young people should not put money or financial gain first when it comes to work or their endeavors. Rather, they should work on establishing themselves as capable hands; when they have gained this reputation, they can then go ahead and look for the money. In order words value should come before money.
