Who is Davido?
Music megastar, Davido, is an American-born Nigerian father, singer-songwriter, recording producer, and multiple award-winner and is best known for his hit songs If, Fall, Risky, and Fem.
After Dropping out of Oakwood University in Alabama at the age of 16, Davido returned to Nigeria without his father’s consent to pursue his music career. His first critically acclaimed song, titled "Back When" featured Naeto C who is cousins with Davido’s manager, Asa Asika.
Early Career – Dami Duro
After the success of his first single, Davido followed it up with an early career-defining song titled 'Dami Duro' that many would describe as an overwhelming hit record that is considered an evergreen song among Nigerian music lovers.
Mid Career – Skelewu to The Money
After the success of Dami Duro and the newly established popularity of Davido, he released his debut album O.B.O. (Omo Baba Olowo) in 2012. Then he went on a single spree between 2013 and 2015 releasing hit singles such as Skelewu, Gobe, Aye, Tchelete, One of A Kind, Naughty, Owo Ni Koko, The Sound, The Money. The popularity of these singles coupled with an African tour, established Davido an African superstar.
Davido and Sony Music
In 2016, Davido signed to Sony Music and immediately started working on his EP Son Of Mercy which got released in October 2016 featuring Tinashe, Simi, and Nasty C. The reception of the EP was quite underwhelming according to Davido.
Family Legacy and Personal Loss
Born into a family of wealth and privilege, Davido's early life was shaped by both privilege and hardship. His father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a successful businessman, while his mother, Veronica Adeleke, was a university professor. Tragically, Davido lost his mother at the young age of 11, an event that profoundly impacted his life and music. Speaking about how he felt losing his mother, Davido said:
I don’t think my mom passing hit me until I was like 13…
She was my best friend…
Davido's Net-worth: DMW and Other Investments
Davido established his label Davido Music Worldwide in 2016 to sign his deal with Sony. A few months after signing to Sony, he signed his first artist Mayorkun to DMW and eventually added Peruzzi and Yonda to the DMW stable. Read more on Davido's net-worth
Along with his music label business, Davido who is considered to be one of the richest musicians in Nigeria has invested in a fintech company in Ghana and bought several real estate properties in Atlanta, Lagos, and Abuja which all added significant value to his net worth which is estimated to be in the double-digit million dollar range.
Davido and Chioma
In 2018, Davido released a song titled Assurance dedicated to his fiancé and mother of his son, Chioma. Assurance became the song of the year for every African woman and immediately, Chioma and Davido became a celebrity couple. Davido mentioned in a recent interview that he and Chioma were supposed to get married in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic messed up their plans.
Davido Albums
Davido has released 5 Albums within the last 12 years:
- Son of Mercy
- Omo Baba Olowo
- A Good Time by Davido
- A Better Time by Davido
- Timeless
How Many Awards Has Davido Won in His Career?
Davido has bagged over 40 awards during his career. This includes and not limited to MOBO for Best African Act, MTV EMA for Best International Act, MTV Africa Music Awards, BET Awards, Headies and Nigerian Teen Choice Awards for “Top Featured Artist” and “Choice Male Artist, and more recently, a Grammy award nomination.
Popular Davido Songs
See more Davido Songs that shaped his career
A Philanthropist and Activist
Beyond his musical accomplishments, Davido is also known for his philanthropic endeavors and activism. His involvement in the #EndSARS movement, a protest against police brutality in Nigeria, highlighted his commitment to social justice and his influence as a public figure.
During the #Endsars protest, Davido was very vocal. In October 2020, the #Endsars movement kicked off and it demanded the end of a police unit called SARS which was notorious for police brutality against young Nigerians. Davido spoke out and led a protest in Abuja. His participation in the protest brought massive attention to the #Endsars movement and got him an invite to a meeting with the IG of Police Mohammed Adamu on October 12, 2020. He also spoke every day via his social media accounts against the government and for the disbandment of Sars in Nigeria
Davido's Beef History with Wizkid, and Burna Boy
Wizkid and Davido started out as friendly associates in the music business but as Davido became bigger, their friendship began to fizzle out. There were twitter subliminal messages tweeted by the pair towards each other until the feud erupted in some violence in 2017 at the One Africa Music Fest in Dubai. Since this altercation, more tweet insults continue to be exchanged between Davido’s and Wizkid’s fans (Wizkid FC) until this day.
In 2020 Davido and Burna boy have had their own share of issues which many rumored have started over Davido getting a role in Coming to America 2 over Burna Boy. Burna boy also responded to an Instagram post by Davido which displayed the heads of Davido and Wizkid on the body of 2 comedians with the caption, “The 2 greatest of all time no cap”. Burna boy responded with his own social media unpleasant response. Read more on Burna Boy and Davido Beef History
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