He isn’t just an extremely talented artist and performer but is also a record label boss, a music producer, a philanthropist and a cultural icon. Unarguably one of the best acts to come out of Africa in the past years, Davido has in the last decade solidified himself as one of the key players pushing Afrobeat to the global music audience. Though he ventured into music at an early age, he did not gain prominence until the release of his 2011 smash hit Dami Duro. He released his debut album Omo Baba Olowo which translates to ‘child of a rich man’ in 2012, and with that album, his career blossomed. At the time, there were not many young mainstream artists in the industry, excluding Banky W’s prodigy Wizkid. Due to this, and the fact that both artists had ventured into the same genre, a rivalry between their fans began and it grew as their careers did. Regardless of this fan rivalry, Davido has proven to be a ‘good sport’, often applauding the success of Wizkid whenever the opportunity arises. On his part, to help curb rumours of a silent ‘beef’ between them, Wizkid surprised fans when he brought out Davido on stage to perform at his 2017 concert.
His second body of work The Baddest, released in 2015, helped push him into the international limelight when he featured Hip-Hop artist Meek Mill on Fans Mi and South African Duo Mafikizolo on Tchelete. By the time he released his sophomore studio album A Good Time in 2019, Davido had attained a level of success that only a few had been able to.
In 2019, the size of his fanbase became known to all when he sold out the famous O2 Arena in London, an arena that holds 20,000 seats. By accomplishing this feat, Davido became the second Nigerian artist in history to do so after Wizkid, and he joined the ranks of the few African artists who have done the same. This incredible achievement was a huge milestone as it showed just how much his music was appreciated outside the shores of Africa.
By 2020, his third studio album A Better Time dropped. The album had numerous features from various superstars such as Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, Nas, Chris Brown, and a few more. At that point, Davido’s success had transcended through continents and the rate at with A Better Time climbed the charts shut the voices of his critics. His single off the album Fem became the unassigned anthem for the 2020 nationwide #EndSARS protest. In the same year, he earned his first RIAA Gold certification for his 2017 hit single Fall and by February of the following year, another 2017 single IF was awarded the same. He made history as both tracks are the only Afrobeat songs to achieve those feats.
Besides his incredible musical career, one of the achievements he has been able to attain and sustain is his position as the DMW label boss. Formed in 2016 after he departed from his previous label HKN, DMW became more than a record label. Davido as a label boss is known for not only discovering incredibly talented individuals. He is also known for nurturing their careers and giving his artists the right opportunities to grow.
To commemorate this 10-year milestone, a popular hashtag #Davidoat10 began circulating social media, with various fans sharing and using it.
Ten years later, with three studio albums and one EP, thirty awards and many more nominations, various endorsements and dozens of collaborations with both African and International artists, Davido has shown no sign of slowing down. He is indeed one of the most influential artists in Africa.
