A section of the Nigerian entertainment industry may appear hostile to him based on his social status, but David ‘Davido’ Adeleke does not look bothered. After all, no one gets to choose the family they were born into.
At 28, Davido is working so hard and building an empire in the industry that almost refused to create a space for him when he announced his arrival with hit single ‘Ema Dami Duro’ (Don’t Stop Me) in 2011.
When most people think of David, the first image that will likely pop up is a young musician working so hard to constantly climb up the ladder like most of his contemporaries with grass to grace stories. But he didn’t rise from grass to grace. He was born into affluence, and that is why his attitude to work leaves many in awe. Why’s the son of a billionaire working so hard? Many have asked, and others have also scorned him for that.
His energy and work ethic is admirable. As the son of one of Nigeria’s wealthiest businessmen who appears to have everything in place for him, one may not have expected the kind of attitude and energy he puts into his work. Still, he is constantly grinding and breaking new grounds, working like his next meal depends on what he does.
Since releasing his first album – ‘Omo Baba Olowo – The Genesis’ in 2012’, he has gone ahead to win some of the most significant music awards in Africa. He won the Best Newcomer Award at the Kora Awards in 2012, ‘Best African Act’ at MTV Africa Music Awards in 2014, and Artiste of The Year at the Headies Award in 2018.
His recent single, ‘FEM’, released when young Nigerians were protesting against police brutality in October 2020, was adopted as the unofficial theme song of the #EndSARS protests. His 2018 hit single, ‘Assurance’, was featured in the movie ‘Coming 2 America’, and he also made a cameo appearance in the film.
He has now been named the ‘Most Popular Male Musician’ at this year’s edition of NET Honours. Davido beat Legendary Afrobeat singer late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, 2Baba, Wizkid, Adekunle Gold and Falz.
David has also built a name as the young artiste who’s constantly opening the door for the career of others, and many young artistes now gravitate towards him, mainly because he is accommodating. They are confident that the association would translate into career development for them.
“We rise by lifting others,” those were his words at the Headies awards in 2018 when he won the Artiste of the Year, and he has not relented in lifting those around him. Mayorkun, Peruzzi and Zlatan Ibile always credit their success to Davido. “Last year, I was using a stupid Sienna that I had to pack far away from this venue and had to trek to this event. Thanks, OBO, for changing my life,” Zlatan Ibile wrote on Instagram after performing at Davido’s ‘A Good Time’ concert in 2019.
Mayorkun of DMW also said: “I will continue to remember the day I met Davido for good. He has really been a blessing to me, and I will always appreciate him. He is a very good person because he didn’t know me from Adam before offering me a deal with his label.”
Even the least among his crew members Bashir ‘Father DMW’ Mohammed, who used to run errands for Davido and his team, has now attained celebrity status through his association with David. Everything he touches turns to gold! There’s no doubting this fact.
There’s no stopping Davido even as he cruises into the future and the next decades of his career. He is going to be here for a very long time. In the last ten years, he has proven that he is not just some wealthy kid passing away time with the music. It is serious business and a career for him. He has remained consistent year on year, sitting at the top as one of the most important performing artistes in contemporary African music.
Written by Michael Orodare