Davido

Davido
OON
Davido performing in 2022
Davido performing in 2022
Background information
Birth nameDavid Adedeji Adeleke
Born (1992-11-21) November 21, 1992 (age 32)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
OriginLagos, Nigeria[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
Years active2011–present
Labels
Formerly ofKB International
Spouse
Chioma Rowland Adeleke
​
​
(m. 2024)​
Websiteiamdavido.com

David Adedeji Adeleke OON (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer.[2][3][4] He is regarded as one of the most important Afrobeats artists of the 21st century and helped popularize the genre globally.[5][6]

Davido was born in Atlanta, United States, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his music debut as a member of the group KB International. Davido studied business administration at Oakwood University before dropping out to make beats and record vocal references. He rose to fame after releasing "Dami Duro", the second single from his debut studio album Omo Baba Olowo (2012), from which six additional singles—"Back When", "Ekuro", "Overseas", "All of You", "Gbon Gbon" and "Feel Alright"—were taken. In 2012, Davido won the Next Rated award at The Headies. Between 2013 and 2015, he released the hit singles "Gobe", "One of a Kind", "Skelewu", "Aye", "Tchelete (Goodlife)", "Naughty", "Owo Ni Koko", "The Sound" and "The Money".

In January 2016, Davido announced on Twitter that he had signed a record deal with Sony Music and a few months later, he founded the record label Davido Music Worldwide, to which artists including Dremo and Peruzzi are currently signed. In July 2016, Davido signed a record deal with Sony's RCA Records and in October the same year, he released the five-track Extended Play (EP) Son of Mercy, which was supported by the singles "Gbagbe Oshi", "How Long" and "Coolest Kid in Africa". In April 2017, Davido re-negotiated his contract with Sony due to creative control issues and later that year, he released five singles including "If" and "Fall".[7] "If" generated worldwide social-media activity while "Fall" became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history.[7][8] Davido released his second studio album A Good Time in November 2019; it was supported by the previously released singles "If", "Fall", "Assurance", "Blow My Mind" and "Risky".

In 2019, New African magazine listed Davido as one of the 100 most-influential Africans.[9] His third studio album A Better Time was released on November 13, 2020, and in February 2021, he appeared on Time magazine's Time 100 Next List.[10] Davido released Timeless, his fourth studio album, on March 31, 2023. He is a cultural ambassador for Nigeria and a prominent voice of human rights in Africa.[11] He is also one of the most-followed African artists on Instagram and Twitter.[12][13]

In November 2023, Davido received three nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for "Unavailable", "Feel" and his album Timeless.[14][15] In January 2024, Davido received three nominations at the 55th NAACP Image Awards.[16]

  1. ^ Sare, Watimagbo. "Davido's Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Buhari Confers Special National Honours on 340 Nigerians, Bestows GCON on Anyaoku – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Davido – Full Biography". MTV Base. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "Dami duro for launch today". The Punch. July 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  5. ^ "Why I'm 'king of afrobeats' – Davido". Daily Post. May 25, 2023.
  6. ^ ""I Knew We Would Be Global" - Davido On Afrobeats at the VMAs". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. September 14, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "OBO is the hottest Nigerian musician of 2017". Pulse Nigeria. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  8. ^ Damola Durosomo (February 6, 2019). "Davido's 'Fall' Is the Longest-Charting Nigerian Pop Song in Billboard History". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  9. ^ Africa, Ventures (October 9, 2019). "Top 10 Nigerians in Africa Report's 100 most influential Africans". Ventures Africa. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  10. ^ "2021 TIME100 Next: Davido". Time. February 17, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Pflock, Denise (December 17, 2021). "Davido, one of Africa's most successful artists, joins PUMA as a global brand ambassador". PUMA CAtch up. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "Top 15 most followed Nigerian celebrities on Instagram | The Nation Newspaper". April 27, 2021. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  13. ^ Naijacreep.com (February 3, 2023). "List Of Luxurious Cars Owned By Davido (Pictures)". Naijacreep.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  14. ^ "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  15. ^ "Meet The First-Time Nominee: Davido On The Rise Of African Music & Making 'Timeless' Songs | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  16. ^ Orimemi, Victor (January 26, 2024). "FULL LIST: Burna Boy, Davido, 'Mami Wata' nominated for 2024 NAACP Awards". The Cable Lifestyle. Retrieved January 26, 2024.