Davido facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Davido
OON
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Davido in 2024
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| Born |
David Adedeji Adeleke
November 21, 1992 |
| Citizenship | Nigerian, American |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
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Notable work
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Discography |
| Spouse(s) |
Chioma Rowland Adeleke
(m. 2023) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Osun State, Nigeria |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | |
David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known as Davido, is a famous Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is also known by the special title OON.
Davido was born in Atlanta, USA, and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He started his music journey with a group called KB International. He first studied business at Oakwood University. But he soon left to focus on making music. He became very popular after releasing "Dami Duro" in 2012. This song was from his first album, Omo Baba Olowo. Other popular songs from this album included "Back When" and "Ekuro". In 2012, he won the Next Rated award at The Headies, a big music award show. From 2013 to 2015, he released many hit songs like "Gobe", "Skelewu", and "Aye".
In 2016, Davido signed a deal with Sony Music. He then started his own music label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW). Artists like Morravey and Logos Olori are signed to DMW. Later in 2016, he released an EP (Extended Play) called Son of Mercy. This EP featured songs like "Gbagbe Oshi" and "Coolest Kid in Africa". In 2017, Davido changed his contract with Sony to have more creative control. He then released huge hits like "If" and "Fall". "Fall" became the longest-running Nigerian pop song on the Billboard charts. In 2019, he released his second album, A Good Time, which included his earlier hits.
New African magazine named Davido one of the 100 most important Africans in 2019. His third album, A Better Time, came out in November 2020. In 2021, he was on Time 100s Next List. His fourth album, Timeless, was released on March 31, 2023. Davido is a cultural ambassador for Nigeria. He also speaks up for human rights in Africa. He is one of the most followed African artists on Instagram and Twitter.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Adedeji Adeleke was born on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. His father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a successful businessman from Nigeria. His mother, Vero Adeleke, was a university teacher. Davido is the youngest of five children.
He went to the British International School Lagos in Nigeria. When he was 16, he went back to the U.S. to study business administration at Oakwood University. While at Oakwood, Davido bought music equipment and started making beats. He also formed a music group called KB International with his cousins B-Red and Sina Rambo.
Davido left Oakwood University to focus on music full-time. He moved to London to work on his singing. In 2011, he returned to Nigeria. He agreed to his father's wish and enrolled at Babcock University. He graduated in July 2015 with a degree in music. His father even helped the university start a music department for him.
Career Highlights
Starting His Music Journey
In 2011, Davido began working on his first album, Omo Baba Olowo. This album mixed Afrobeats and hip hop. He worked with many producers like Jay Sleek and Shizzi. The album featured other artists such as Naeto C and Ice Prince. While some critics didn't love the lyrics, the album won Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2013.
The first song from the album, "Back When", was released in May 2011. It was produced by Davido in London. The music video for "Back When" came out on YouTube in May 2011. His second song, "Dami Duro", was released in October 2011. Davido said he recorded the song in August that year. The music video for "Dami Duro" was released in January 2012.
"Ekuro", the third song, was released in January 2012. Its music video was filmed in Miami. The fourth song, "Overseas", came out in May 2012. "All of You" was the fifth song, released in September 2012.
Big Hits and New Deals
On February 25, 2013, Davido released "Gobe". This song was very popular and was ranked high on music lists. The music video for "Gobe" was filmed in South Africa. He then released "One of a Kind" in May 2013. Its music video showed a united Africa.
"Skelewu" was released on August 13, 2013. Davido promoted it with a dance video and a dance competition. Two music videos were made for "Skelewu". The official one was directed by Moe Musa in London.
On February 1, 2014, Davido released "Aye". The music video for "Aye" showed Davido as a poor farmer in love with a prince's fiancé. Davido also worked with South African group Mafikizolo on "Tchelete (Goodlife)" in April 2014.
In June 2014, Davido joined other artists like Tiwa Savage for "Africa Rising". This song was for a campaign to support social projects. In June 2015, Davido released the song "Fans Mi" with American rapper Meek Mill.
Davido's album The Baddest was planned for 2015 but was delayed. In January 2016, he announced his deal with Sony Music. This deal meant he would release two albums and keep rights to his music. A few months later, he started his own label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW). Artists like Dremo and Mayorkun joined DMW. In July 2016, he also signed with RCA Records. In October 2016, he released the EP Son of Mercy. It featured artists like Tinashe and Nasty C.
Global Recognition and More Hits
Davido won Best African Act at the 2017 MOBO Awards. On February 17, 2017, he released "If". This song was a huge success. Its music video has been watched over 172 million times on YouTube. "If" was certified diamond in South Africa, meaning it sold 200,000 units. It won Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018.
Davido released "Fall" on June 2, 2017. This song was certified platinum. It was one of the most searched songs on Shazam in America in 2019. In February 2019, "Fall" became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. The music video for "Fall" is the most-watched video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube, with over 274 million views by November 2023.
On November 10, 2017, Davido released "Fia". This song was produced by Fresh VDM. "Fia" was nominated for Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018. A remix of "Fia" with Stefflon Don was released in March 2018. Davido won Best African Act at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Davido released "Assurance" on April 30, 2018. He dedicated this song to his girlfriend. He won Best International Act at the 2018 BET Awards. He was the first African artist to get his award on the main stage. In his speech, he asked people to visit Africa.
In August and September 2018, Davido performed in Boston as part of his "The Locked Up Tour". He also performed at the Made in America Festival with artists like Meek Mill and Post Malone.
O2 Arena and Recent Albums
In January 2019, Davido sold out The O2 Arena in London. He was the second solo African artist to do this. Idris Elba introduced him on stage.
The song "Blow My Mind" with Chris Brown was released on July 26, 2019. Its music video got one million views in just 11 hours. "Risky" was released on October 23, 2019. It featured Jamaican singer Popcaan. The music video for "Risky" was inspired by the TV show Top Boy.
Davido's second album, A Good Time, came out on November 22, 2019. It included "If", "Fall", "Assurance", "Blow My Mind", and "Risky". Davido recorded this album in Atlanta. He said it was for everyone and mixed Afrobeats with other music styles. By July 2020, A Good Time had over 1 billion streams online.
A Better Time and Timeless
In May 2020, Davido was featured on the cover of Billboard magazine. He talked about music and life during the pandemic.
Davido announced his third album, A Better Time, on Twitter. He said he recorded 11 songs for it quickly. In July 2020, Davido performed on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. A Better Time was released on November 13, 2020. It featured artists like Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj, and Chris Brown.
In November 2021, Davido asked his friends and fans to send him money. He raised 200 million naira and added 50 million naira of his own. He donated all this money to orphanages in Nigeria.
In March 2022, Davido was featured on "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)", a song for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Soundtrack. In May 2022, he released "Stand Strong", his first solo song of the year. In September 2022, Davido announced his first "Are We African Yet" (A.W.A.Y) music festival. It was held in Atlanta, Georgia, in November 2022.
Timeless and New Ventures
In June 2022, Davido shared that his fourth album, Timeless, was almost ready. On March 21, 2023, he announced on Instagram that the album would be released on March 31. Timeless was his first album in three years. He told CNN that the title means he wants the album to be remembered as a classic for many years.
The 17-song album featured artists like Skepta, Angelique Kidjo, and Asake. It included different music styles like amapiano, dancehall, and Afropop. The album's cover art shows Davido's head and two elephants. The song "Unavailable" from the album became very popular. On August 18, 2023, Davido released a remix of "Unavailable" with American rapper Latto.
Davido received three nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. These included Best Global Music Album for Timeless and Best African Music Performance for "Unavailable". In 2023, Chris Brown featured Davido and Lojay on his song "Sensational". This song made it to number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In January 2024, Davido received three nominations at the 55th NAACP Image Awards.
In April 2024, Davido started his own record company called Nine+ Records. He worked with UnitedMasters for this. In December 2024, he announced that his fifth album, 5ive, would be released in March 2025. He also shared that "Funds" would be the second song from the album. It features rapper Odumodublvck and singer Chike.
Artistry and Style
Davido says his love for music comes from his mother. He grew up listening to rappers like Ja Rule and 50 Cent. His music style mixes Afrobeats, hip hop, and R&B. He once said he was in a hip-hop group before moving to R&B and then Afrobeats.
A writer from The New York Times noted that Davido's music often talks about fun topics like love, dreams, and positive thinking. Even though some say his voice is "hazy", many praise his singing on Timeless.
Other Ventures
On April 6, 2012, Davido signed a big endorsement deal with MTN, a mobile network company. He became the face of MTN Pulse, a campaign for young Nigerians. In October 2013, Guinness Nigeria also signed Davido for an endorsement deal. He performed at the Guinness World of More Concert with other famous artists.
In May 2018, Davido signed a deal with Infinix Mobile, a smartphone company. In May 2021, he became an official ambassador for the sports-betting brand 1xBet. In October 2021, the cognac brand Martell announced him as their new ambassador. In December 2021, Davido signed a long-term deal with Puma, becoming a global ambassador for the sports brand.
Personal Life
Davido has six children.
In October 2022, Davido's son, David Ifeanyi Adeleke Jr., sadly passed away. He was three years old.
In March 2023, Davido confirmed he was married to his long-time partner, Chioma Rowland. On June 25, 2024, they had a wedding ceremony in Lagos. Many important people, including Olusegun Obasanjo, attended the event.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Omo Baba Olowo (2012)
- A Good Time (2019)
- A Better Time (2020)
- Timeless (2023)
- 5ive (2025)
Tours
- A Good Time North America Tour (2019–2020)
- WRBLO Tour (2022)
- Timeless North America Tour (2023)
- 5 Alive Tour (2025)
See also
In Spanish: Davido para niños
- List of awards and nominations received by Davido
- List of Nigerian musicians
