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David Adedeji Adeleke a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer and better known by his stage name Davido was (born November 21, 1992), to Chief Deji and Vero Adeleke in Atlanta, Georgia USA. His father is a Nigerian business magnate and his late mother was a university lecturer.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Davido attended the British International School in Lagos and thereafter studied Business Administration at Oakwood University before coming to Nigeria. Davido’s interest in music dated back to his time at Oakwood University. We learnt he bought musical equipment and started making beats, in addition to recording vocal references.
He dropped out of Oakwood University when he started getting bad grades and relocated to London, where he focused more of his energy towards vocals as opposed to production.
Davido however returned to Nigeria in 2011, his music career was sidelined after he agreed to honor his father by enrolling at Babcock University. In July 2015, Davido earned a music degree from Babcock after his father paid the university to erect a music department as His 2011 single “Dami Duro” was well-received throughout Nigeria.
In September 2018, Davido suspended his US tour due to NYSC C commitments. there was a lot of buzz and jubilation when the Pop star landed the NYSC camp in Lagos for his service year. the singer was applauded by his fans and his colleagues for obeying the clarion call. but many felt disappointed when the singer flew out of the country to attend some concerts.
Davido has decided to face his NYSC duties squarely as he announced on his Instagram page that he had postponed all shows till further notice just to serve his father land. The post read, “Due to scheduling conflicts and National Youth Service Corps commitments in Nigeria, the remaining date for the ‘Davido locked up tour’ has been cancelled. Refunds will be made available at point of purchase. He is however working hard to reschedule all dates in the near future. I love you guys and see you soon. Houston, Dallas, L.A and San Francisco will be giving you all the new dates soon. I apologise to ally my fans, but duty calls! shout out to all the fans who sold out each city so far. OBO”.
Along with his elder brother Adewale Adeleke, Davido is the co-owner of HKN Music (a record label home to Sina Rambo, B. Red and DeeKay). He has produced songs for Naeto C, Skales, Tiwa Savage and Sauce Kid.
In April 2012, he signed an endorsement deal with MTN Nigeria.
On October 23, 2013, Davido partnered with Guinness Nigeria for the “Guinness World of More” concert. Baddest.
In January 2016, Davido announced via Twitter that he signed a record deal with Sony Music. His announcement was met with mixed reactions. The record label put out a press release to confirm the deal. Davido started his own label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), few months after signing with Sony. Dremo and Mayorkun are currently signed to the label.
In July 2016, Davido signed a record deal with Sony’s RCA Records.
Life And Music Career
1992–2010: Early life and career beginnings
“I’ve been doing music for like 1 year but I took it seriously in March 2011. I was formerly in a group called KB international in America. It wasn’t working out so I thought I should just do this on my own that was when I moved back to Nigeria. I was around people that were musically inclined. I love music, and why not do something you love and are happy doing and making money at the same time”.
The above quotes sum up Davido’s interest and decision to venture into music and his strong determination to succeed.
2011–2012:Omo Baba Olowo
Work on Davido’s debut studio album, Omo Baba Olowo, began in 2011. On May 7, 2011, Davido produced and released his first musical recording “Back When” which was a major hit. The song served as the album’s lead single and received frequent airplay.
The music video for the single, uploaded onto YouTube on May 9, 2011, was shot and directed in Nigeria by Clarence Peters
2013–2015:The Baddest promotional singles and Africa Rising campaign
In early 2013, Davido began recording his second studio album. On February 25, 2013, he released “Gobe” as the upcoming album’s lead single. The song was produced by Shizzi. Charles Mgbolu of Vanguard commented on the release of the single, saying: “It’s a beautiful song with a tremendous video running along”.
Davido announced via Twitter that the second single “One of a Kind”, from the upcoming album, would be released on May 13, 2013. The song was also produced by the aforementioned in-house producer. The music video for “One of a Kind” was shot and directed in South Africa by Tebza of Godfather Productions. It visualizes a united Africa rich in culture and music.
“Skelewu”, the third single from the upcoming album, was released on August 13, 2013. It was ranked 5th on the aforementioned list of the top 10 songs of 2013. The song peaked at number 1 on Afribiz’s Top 100 chart. A dance competition with a cash prize of $3000 (₦480,000) was announced days after the release of the song.
On February 2, 2014, Davido released “Aye” as the fourth single from the upcoming album. The song was produced by T Spize. The music video for “Aye” was released on February 7, 2014, and was directed by Clarence Peters. According to the music video’s synopsis, “Davido plays a poor farmer who falls in love with the prince’s love interest.”
On April 30, 2014, HKN Music released the upcoming album’s fifth single “Tchelete (Goodlife)” featuring South African duo Mafikizolo. The song, which translates to “Money”, was produced by Oskido and Shizzi. Upon its release, the song was distributed by MTN’s Play and Callertunez platforms.
Davido’s Awards
On November 30,2017 Davido won the best African act at the MOBO Awards and also became the first African act to perform live at the awards.
On June 24, 2018, Davido became the first African-based artist to have received his award on the BET Awards main stage. His award was presented by Hollywood actor Omari Hardwick and actress Tika Sumpter.
In his acceptance speech, he urged patrons and American artists to visit Africa and also enjoy the food.
Endorsements
On April 6, 2012, Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that Davido signed a ₦30 million endorsement deal with MTN. The deal unveiled him as the face of MTN Pulse, a marketing campaign for Nigerian youths.
On October 24, 2013, Pulse reported that Guinness Nigeria signed Davido to an endorsement deal. As part of the deal, Davido performed at the Guinness World of More Concert alongside P-Square, D’banj, Wizkid, IcePrince, Burna Boy, Olamide, Phyno, Chidinma, Waje and Tiwa Savage, among others.
Davido’s Net Worth
This young talented Nigerian Afropop and Afrobeat Artist , has a net worth of over $30 million dollars. He is said to own mansions within Nigeria and abroad outside his parent’s wealth.
Davido also has taste for flashy cars to his credit.