Olurotimi Akinosho, better known by his stage name Rotimi, is a 33-year-old actor, musician, and songwriter best known for his role in the STARZ hit series Power where he featured as Dre. He’s here to prove that his abilities go well beyond his on-screen persona. By blending contemporary R&B with vintage Afrobeat and Dancehall, the Nigerian-American from Maplewood, New Jersey, developed his own smooth sound with global influences he grew up listening to like Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Lauryn Hill.
Following the success of his hit single “In My Bed”, which earned him his first RIAA gold certification, the multi-talented star signed a multi million-dollar deal with Empire Music. On August 27th, he released his debut album All or Nothing, which coincided with the announcement of the much anticipated House Party remake, which premiered on HBO Max.
One month later after the release of his debut Album, Rotimi, 32, and his 33-year-old fiancée Vanessa Mdee, a Tanzanian singer/songwriter, welcomed their first child into the world. The proud parents announced the birth of their son, Seven Adeoluwa Akinosho on Instagram.
On how fatherhood has changed his life, Rotimi got this to say,
It’s made things more simple as I put life into perspective. You know, every man wants to do the right thing and be a provider and make the right decisions. And now, it’s like you just really have to. It grounds everything. It’s beyond being about me at this moment. Everything I do is about him and the future.
Rotimi and Mdee first went public with their relationship in 2019, and they’ve only gotten closer since. The couple says they first met at the ESSENCE FESTIVAL and, funny enough, Rotimi actually had another date lined up before he and Mdee crossed paths.
“I actually was there with somebody else, just a weekend friend,” he admits. “She ended up getting sick. We were supposed to go to this party, and [she said] I don’t want to come. I said, ‘okay, it’s fine. I’m just going to go for 15 minutes.’ I end up going and some of my castmates were also there. That’s where I end up meeting [Vanessa.] Fifteen minutes turned into an hour and a half conversation. Nothing else mattered in the room.” Rotimi says.
After a month of long-distance communication (Mdee returned back to Africa for work), the lovebirds went on their first official date. It didn’t take long for her to make the decision to relocate for the relationship. “I feel like we’ve been together for lifetimes,” Rotimi said. “So, this is just this body and I just met her again on this earth. It felt like that from day one, and I’ve never had a connection that instantly. [I told her] I don’t want you to go back to Africa. I want you to stay with me.” Currently, the couple is residing in Atlanta and feel more assured than ever that their relationship was meant to be. Mdee says Rotimi in a sense saved her life.
Following his famous feature on the STARZ hit series Power, most fans failed to draw a difference between his character DREE and him as an artist. A quick Twitter Search including the name of singer and actor Rotimi will reveal a dozen more comments about how torn Power fans were when it came to distinguishing between singer and actor Rotimi and his character, Andre Coleman (Dre).
Rotimi confessed that some fans didnt like him because they took him as Dree from the Powers series, he adds that some fans even skipped his music because they hated Dree. Rotimi is not Dre. Dre is not Rotimi. Dre, a handsome, smooth and calculating yet grimy character developed nearly eight years ago, is night and day from Rotimi, the smooth crooner whose latest album, has captured a different audience with his relatable tunes. But the fun of playing such a different person has taught Rotimi to be more comfortable with his character in order to reel fans into the storyline.
On whats next on his agenda, Rotimi says him and his team are planning the All or Nothing Album tour. It will begin in January 2022 and move across the country and overseas. Also, his fiancée and him have been getting into business ventures and getting into real estate and buying properties. But right now, he is enjoying being a father. He loves being home. Getting to know his son is a beautiful thing.
