David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known by his stage name Davido, is a Nigerian artist born on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
Davido is the son of Nigerian business magnate Chief Deji Adeleke and university lecturer Vero Adeleke, who is now deceased. He attended The British International School in Lagos.
Having traveled between the USA, the UK, and Nigeria, Davido has experienced various cultures but remains true to his roots. This is evident in his music and the artists he considers his biggest influences, including Don Jazzy, 2 Face Idibia, Sound Sultan, and Wande Coal.
Davido came into the limelight in 2011 with his hit single “Dami Duro,” which was well-received across Nigeria. Along with his elder brother Adewale Adeleke, he started his own record label, HKN, which also houses artists like Sina Rambo, B.Red, Mayorkun, and Peruzzi.
As a record producer, Davido has produced songs for top artists such as Tiwa Savage, Naeto C, Skales, and Sauce Kid. He released an album, “Omo Baba Olowo (OBO),” in 2012, supported by singles like “Back When” featuring Naeto C, “Ekuro,” “Gbon Gbon,” and “Feel Alright” featuring Ice Prince.
Between 2013 and 2015, Davido released singles such as “Gobe,” “One of a Kind,” “Skelewu,” “Aye,” and “Tchelete” featuring the South African music duo Mafikizolo.
In January 2016, Davido announced on Twitter that he had signed a record deal with Sony Music, an announcement met with mixed reactions online. Just a few months after signing the deal, Davido founded another record label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), and signed artists Mayorkun and rapper Dremo to the label.
MUSIC CAREER
Davido, on his decision to venture into music, said that he had been involved in music for about a year but took it seriously in March 2011. He was formerly part of a group called KB International in America. When things didn’t go as planned, he decided to branch out and moved back to Nigeria.
“I started being around people that are musically inclined, I started doing what I love to do best, and I’m happy doing it and making money at the same time,” he said.
Davido attended the British International School in Lagos and studied Business Administration at Oakwood University. He developed an interest in music during his time at Oakwood, where he bought musical equipment and started making beats.
Due to poor grades, Davido dropped out of Oakwood University and returned to Nigeria in 2011. To honor his father, he enrolled in Babcock University while sidelining his music career.
Upon returning to Nigeria, Davido debuted his studio album “Omo Baba Olowo (OBO)” and released his first single, “Back When,” featuring rapper Naeto C. The accompanying video was shot by Clarence Peters.
On October 30, 2011, Davido released “Dami Duro,” co-produced with label mate Shizzi. The music video, shot in Lagos and directed by Clarence Peters, was released in early 2012.
Davido also released tracks from the album such as “Overseas” and “All of You,” produced by GospelOnDeBeatz. He promoted other singles from the album, including “Ekuro,” “Gbon Gbon,” and “Feel Alright,” with music videos.
In 2013, Davido began recording his second studio album, releasing “Gobe” with visuals shot by Godfather Productions in South Africa. He also released other singles from the album, including “Aye,” “Skelewu,” and “One of a Kind,” each accompanied by well-produced music videos. “Aye,” produced by Tspize, had a video shot by Clarence Peters, while “One of a Kind” was shot in South Africa by Tebza of Godfather Productions.
ENDORSEMENTS AND NET-WORTHS
On April 6, 2012, it was reported that Davido signed a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with MTN, becoming the new face of MTN Pulse. On October 24, 2013, Davido signed another endorsement deal with Guinness Nigeria, performing at the Guinness World of More concert alongside Psquare, Waje, D’banj, Chidinma, and Tiwa Savage, among others, as part of the deal.
Davido’s net worth is estimated to be between $14 million and $16 million. In May 2017, Forbes Africa Magazine listed Davido among Africa’s Top 10 Bankable Artists.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
As of December 2014, Davido had received a total of 29 awards from 74 nominations, including accolades from the BET Awards, Channel O Music Awards, Headies Awards, Kora Awards, and many others.
DAVIDO’S RELATIONSHIPS
In 2014, Davido began dating model Sira Kante, but they broke up in 2015. Afterward, Davido welcomed a baby girl named Imade with Sophia Momodu, who he claimed manipulated and took advantage of his generosity and naivety.
There was a series of disputes regarding who would take care of the child, with Davido insisting on taking her away.
Soon after the incident with Sophia, Davido had another baby with a woman named Amanda. They welcomed a baby girl named Hailey Veronica Adeleke, making Davido the father of two daughters.
Davido’s relationship with Amanda didn’t last long, and he has since been rumored to be dating another woman whose identity remains unknown.
HOW DAVIDO MEET CHIOMA AVRIL ROWLAND
Chioma and Davido first met at Babcock University when Davido was still studying there.
Chioma has been seen with Davido at various family events, and they have reportedly been dating for five years, meaning she has been in his life before his two baby mamas.
The couple reportedly met before Davido released “Dami Duro” and have been together ever since. Chioma is known to be very supportive of Davido’s career, often helping to feed his entire team when needed.
Davido has mentioned that he has known Chioma for over five years and plans to spend the rest of his life with her.
On June 25, 2024, Davido and Chioma officially got married traditionally.
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Davido is undoubtedly known globally, with numerous international collaborations to his name. These include “Fans Mi” featuring Meek Mill, “Coolest Kid in Africa” featuring Nasty C, “How Long” featuring Tinashe, and the recent track “Pere” featuring Young Thug and Rae Sremmurd.
