Davido
David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), better known by his stage name Davido, is an American-born Nigerian recording artist, performer and record producer. His 2011 single, "Dami Duro", was well-received throughout Nigeria. 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 for numerous artists, including 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 for the "Guinness World of More" concert. Davido has won a BET Award, a Kora Award, a Channel O Music Video Award, a Ghana Music Award, a Nigeria Music Video Award, two MTV Africa Music Awards, two African Muzik Magazine Awards, five The Headies Awards, seven Nigeria Entertainment Awards and two Dynamix All Youth Awards, among others.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Davido relocated to Lagos at a young age. He released his debut album Omo Baba Olowo in 2012, which includes the singles "Back When" featuring Naeto C, "Dami Duro", "All of You", "Overseas" featuring Sina Rambo, "Ekuro", "Gbon Gbon" and "Feel Alright" featuring Ice Prince. Davido has released the singles "Gobe", "One of a Kind", "Skelewu", "Aye", "Tchelete (Goodlife)", "Naughty" and "Owo Ni Koko" off his upcoming album which was slated to be released in the fourth quarter of 2014. In a 2014 interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Davido said that his second studio album will not be released in 2014
Life and music career
1992–2010: Early life
I’ve been doing music for like 3 years 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.
“
”
2011–2012:Omo Baba Olowo
Main article: 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". 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. Davido told Factory 78 TV that he recorded "Back When" in London.Davido co-produced "Dami Duro" with Shizzi and released it on October 30, 2011. The music video for "Dami Duro" was released on January 8, 2012. It was shot and directed in Lagos by Clarence Peters, and was released during the Occupy Nigeria protests. In an interview posted on Notjustok, Davido spoke on the release and composition of "Dami Duro". He said he recorded "Dami Duro" in August 2011. Three months later, the song got leaked after he sent it out to some friends.
On May 6, 2012, HKN Music released "Overseas" as a single off the album. The unfinished version of the song leaked prior to the official release. On September 28, 2012, HKN Music released the music video for "All of You". The song was produced by Gospelondabeat. When the song was released, it was rumored to be a "beef track". In another interview with Factory 78 TV, Davido debunked the rumors and said he recorded the song with Gospel after meeting him at a mall. To further promote the album, Davido released music videos for "Ekuro", "Gbon Gbon", and "Feel Alright".
2013–present:Upcoming album
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. In Gobe, Davido is beaten up by thugs after winning the girl. It’s a song that exudes fun from start to finish."music video for the single was shot in South Africa by Godfather Productions.The song was ranked second on Premium Times list of the Top 10 songs of 2013.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 (N480,000) was announced days after the release of the song. Davido uploaded an instructional dance video onto YouTube and asked fans to upload videos of themselves dancing to "Skelewu". On October 10, 2013, Davido declared Bello Moshood Abiola the winner of the competition. A week after announcing the winner of the Skelewu dance competition, a Sesan directed music video was released to the public. Shortly after the release of the video, Davido took to Twitter to debunk the video and said that someone betrayed him by releasing it. He also said he'll re-shoot the video with Moe Musa, a UK based music video director.Sesan commented on the release of the music video and said that Davido was satisfied with his contributions to the music video. He also said that it would be immature for Davido and his management to release inaccurate statements in order to defame his brand. On October 21, 2013, the official music video for the single, shot and directed in London by Moe Musa, was uploaded onto YouTube at a total length of 3 minutes and 56 seconds.
On February 2, 2014, Davido released "Aye" as the fourth single from the upcoming album. The song was produced by T Spice. he music video for "Aye" was released on February 7, 2014; it 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. The collaboration between Davido and Mafikizolo came about as a result of them networking at MTN Nigeria's Elite Night event in December 2013. The music video for the song was shot and directed in South Africa. It was uploaded onto YouTube on May 1, 2014. Oskido and Uhuru made cameo appearances in the video.
In June 2014, Davido collaborated with Mi Casa, Lola Rae, Sarkodie, Diamond Platnumz and Tiwa Savage on a song for DSTV's Africa Rising campaign, which was designed to inspire Africans to partake in community-based social investment projects. The music video for the song, released on June 24, 2014, was shot and directed by South African production house Callback Dream. The aforementioned artists performed the song at the Africa Rising launch ceremony in Mauritius. In July 2014, Davido told The New Age newspaper that he plans on collaborating with American rappers Rick Ross and Meek Mill.
Endorsements
On April 6, 2012, Nigerian Entertainment Today reported that Davido signed a N30 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, Ice Prince, Burna Boy, Olamide, Phyno, Chidinma, Waje and Tiwa Savage, among others.Bribery allegations
In May 2014, Davido slandered the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) after missing his flight to London. He accused them of pestering him for money. On May 11, 2014, the Public Relations Officer for the NIS debunked Davido's allegations and said that they didn't issue him an exit permit because he didn't have the proper traveling documents with him at the time.Discography
Studio albums
- Omo Baba Olowo (2012)
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Back When" (featuring Naeto C) | Omo Baba Olowo |
| "Dami Duro" | ||
| 2012 | "Ekuro" | |
| "Overseas" (featuring Sina Rambo) | ||
| "Gbon Gbon" | ||
| "All of You" | ||
| "Feel Alright" (featuring Ice Prince) | ||
| 2013 | "Gobe" | TBA |
| "One of a Kind" | ||
| "Skelewu" | ||
| 2014 | "Aye" | |
| "Tchelete (Goodlife)" (featuring Mafikizolo) |
Awards and nominations
-
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
 Davido performing at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards |
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| Totals | |||||
| Awards won | 25 | ||||
| Nominations | 45 | ||||
Soul Train Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Davido for "Aye" | Best International Performance | Nominated |
The Future Africa Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | African Young Person of the Year | Nominated |
Kora Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Artist of the Year | Pending | |
| 2012 | Best Newcomer Award | Won |
BET Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Best International Act: Africa | Won |
Dynamix All Youth Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Himself | Promising Youth Artiste | Won | |
| "Back When" | Song of the Year | Won |
MOBO Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Best African Act | Nominated |
MTV Europe Music Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Best African Act | Nominated |
African Muzik Magazine Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Best Male West Africa | Won | |
| Artist of the Year | Won | |||
| "Skelewu" | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Best Dance in a Video | Nominated | |||
| "Number One Remix" | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Best Collabo | Nominated |
MTV Africa Music Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Best Male | Won | |
| Artist of the Year | ||||
| "Number One" (Remix) (Diamond featuring Davido) |
Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
| "Skelewu" | Song of the Year |
World Music Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | World's Best Male Artist | Nominated | |
| World's Best Live Act | Nominated | |||
| World's Best Entertainer Of The Year | Nominated |
Channel O Music Video Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Aye" | Most Gifted Male | Nominated | |
| Most Gifted Afropop | Nominated | |||
| Most Gifted West | Nominated | |||
| Most Gifted Video | Nominated | |||
| "Skelewu" | Most Gifted Dance | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | "Gobe" | Most Gifted Afro Pop Video | Nominated | |
| 2012 | "Dami Duro" | Most Gifted Dance Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| Most Gifted Newcomer Video of the Year | Won |
Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA)
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Aye" | Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| Indigenous Concept | Nominated | |||
| Best Use Of Costumes | Nominated | |||
| Best Afro Pop Video | Won | |||
| "Tchelete (Goodlife)" (featuring Mafikizolo) |
Best Pop Extra Video | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | "All of You" | Best Dance Hall/Reggae Video | Nominated | |
| "Gobe" | Best Pop Extra Video | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | "Dami Duro" | Best Video By A New Artiste (Live Beats Choice) |
Won |
4Syte TV Music Video Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Aye" | Best African Video | Nominated | |
| 2013 | "Gobe" | Best African Act Video | Nominated | |
| 2012 | "Dami Duro" | Nominated |
Ghana Music Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | African Artiste Of The Year | Won | |
| 2013 | Nominated |
City People Entertainment Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Musician Of The Year (Male) | Won | |
| "Aye" | Most Popular Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Daddy" (Reminisce featuring Davido) |
Best Collabo of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Himself | Musician of the Year (Male) | Nominated | |
| Best Hip-Hop Artiste of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Gobe" | Most Popular Song of the Year | Nominated |
The Headies
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Himself | Artiste of the Year | Won | |
| "Aye" | Song of the Year | Won | ||
| Best Pop Single | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Himself | Artiste of the Year | Nominated | |
| Hip Hop World Revelation | Won | |||
| Omo Baba Olowo | Best R&B/Pop Album | Won | ||
| Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Gobe" | Best Pop Single | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Himself | Next Rated | Won | |
| "Dami Duro" | Best Pop Single | Nominated | ||
| Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| "Carolina" (Sauce Kid featuring Davido) |
Best Collabo | Nominated |
Nigeria Entertainment Awards
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Aye" | Hottest Single of the Year | Won | [90] |
| Himself | Male Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| "Skelewu" | Best Music Video of the Year (Artist & Director) | Nominated | [91] | |
| "Gallardo" (Runtown featuring Davido) |
Best Collaboration | Won | [90] | |
| "Mofe Lowo Ju Daddy Mi" (Reminisce featuring Davido) |
Nominated | [91] | ||
| 2013 | O.B.O (Omo Baba Olowo) | Best Album of the Year | Nominated | [92] |
| Himself | Best Pop/R&B Artiste of the Year | Won | [93] | |
| 2012 | "Dami Duro" | Hottest Single of the Year | Won | [94] |
| Himself | Best New Act of the Year | Won | ||
| "Carolina" (Sauce Kid featuring Davido) |
Best Collabo of the Year | Won |
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