The impression is that Davido is a snub, a spoilt child who
lays around with ladies and parties all the time. It was with this impression
that Hazeez Balogun went to have a one on one interview session with him at a
Hotel in Lekki where he is lodged. Davido turned out to be the opposite. He
stepped out from the hall where he was having a rehearsal with his crew. His
publicist said he had been practicing for hours. David Adedeji Adeleke turned
out to be a disciplined, hardworking and respectful 19 years old artiste who is
handling fame quite ordinarily. This interview was done a day before his O.B.O
show last Sunday.
Tell us about your
show
That will be my first show in Nigeria, in fact it is the
first Davido show in the whole of Africa. I am trying to do a show like no
other. There is going to be a lot of drama, and acting. It has a story line to
it.
Before you released
the song ‘Back when’, nobody knew who Davido was, but all of a sudden, within a
year, Davido is the rave of the moment, where was Davido before?
I was in Atlanta in the United States all along. I was there
in school for two year. But while I was in school I had a group there and we
made a lot of music together. We were experimenting with a lot of sounds. It
was recently I decided to come back to the country with my cousins and my label
mates. And we decided to work on music in Nigeria. But it was a surprise that
as soon as we started, people just accepted us immediately. I did not expect
everything will happen this quick but I thank God. Now we are launching
ourselves real big.
Most artistes that
had stayed abroad find it hard to make the kind of music that Nigerians can
feel, but you hit it spot on, any secret?
The thing is that I and my crew travel a lot. From America
we go to Brazil, Spain and many other countries, but we always love to be back
in Lagos. We feel at home in Nigeria, so we kind of know what the people want.
I know good music so I don’t try to follow what anybody is doing. If you listen
to ‘Back when’ you will know that that kind of sound have never been done
before. And before you know it, everybody started copying the style. So I
decided to change it for them. (mimicks the beat of Damiduro) that one shocked
everyone. It’s just about making different type of music and making sure your
music is accepted. When I listen to my song, I do not listen to it like someone
who knows me or like me. I listen to it like someone who does not like me. That
way I can be critical about my music. I take it very seriously. At the end of
the day, I like my songs and everybody likes my songs.
You have three songs
in the album as hits, what else should be expected from the full album?
I will not suggest any song to anybody. I want people to go
and get the album and listen to it. Let them choose the one they prefer on
their own. Everybody have different tastes. I have songs for people that go to
church, I have songs for people that go to clubs, in it is songs for people
that are sad and people who are happy. There is something for everybody.
The story is that you
joined D’Banj’s record label. Then some say it’s not true. What is the real
situation with you and D’Banj?
D’Banj is my big brother. I and D’banj have been cool for
about four years now. He was one of the people that made me move back. He has
been and always be my mentor. Being signed under his label is a different
issue. I am not signed under his label at the moment. We are working together
and he has business for me and we will see what the future holds. I really
respect D’Banj.
You collaborated with
Naeto C in ‘Back when’ how did you meet him?
Naeto C is my manager’s cousin. So he just set the whole
thing up. We really blended well and we came out with my first major hit. We
are all like a family.
Which other
collaborations have you done?
I have been in the studio with a
lot of international artistes. I have been with Akon, and the likes. We have
something very big coming but really I do not like doing much collaborations. I
like doing my own thing.
Shina Rambo is your cousin and your musical
partner, are you comfortable with that name bearing in mind that the negative
personality that bore such a name?
I did not know who
Shina Rambo was. It was people that filled me in one the character that bore
the name in the 90’s. I was and I am still fine with the name. It is a catchy
name. Actually Adesina his name and all he did was to shorten it to Shina. Also
the name Rambo is a name associated with strength and power. So as a whole I
think the name is easily recognisable and blends well with the music scene.
Tell us about your crew
It consists of
three young talented artistes who will take over the entertainment scene. It is
me, Davido, B-Red and Shina Rambo. The crew featured in my O.B.O album and we
are also doing our personal things too. We are called HNK. B-Red is the first
artiste we will be promoting. He will be dropping his single very soon.
All of you are heavily tattooed all over
your body, what is the attraction to tattoos?
I got the first
tattoo in in the crew. All of our tattoos mean something to us. There are some
with bible verses, there are some with wise words. We all also have HNK on our
bodies. Everything has a meaning, but asides that, there is nothing more to it.
Davido is the artist to beat at the moment.
How do you feel having all eyes on you?
Everything is
faith. I cannot really explain how it happened. I don’t know how I blew so
quickly. It is all by the grace of God. I am very thankful. I appreciate the
fans, my family, God, and also the media for pushing me out there. All I can
say is thank you. I did not plan all this, you cannot plan success, you can
only hope and pray for it.
People say that now that Davido is now
popular, he no longer caters for the street, that your fees are no longer
affordable.
There was a point
in time I was doing shows for N300,000, but if I was to set my fees so low now,
there will not be time. I think I am still affordable to those that appreciate
me.
At every point you refer to yourself as Omo
baba olowo (son of a rich man), what is that all about?
My father is a
successful man, he works very hard and he is one of my mentors. I wish I could
be like him. I work very hard too and I am successful in my own line of work.
So it shows that I have learnt a lot from him.
Did he support your career in anyway,
because most African parents try to dissuade their children from music?
At first he did
not support my plans to go into music. That is typical amongst parents. But
when he saw that I was serious about music and I can make something out of
music, he decided to lend his support. I thank God for him.
You also produce music.
Yes. Funny enough,
I was first a producer before I was a musician. I had done works with Wizkid,
D’Banj, Ice Prince, Flavour, even Akon. I am still a professional producer. I
think that is one of the things that make my songs unique.
After the album launch what is next for
Davido?
Ah, a lot is on
the ground now. I have like eight tours lined up. I will be touring a lot of
countries. We will be shooting videos, there are also new singles dropping.
Trust me, we are very busy at the moment.
Your videos are usually very clean and
conceptual, who shoots them for you?
We don’t really
have one person shooting our videos. We use Clarence Peters and Antoine Smith
from America most times.
How did Davido grow up?
I am the last
child of five children. All my siblings went to school in the UK while I was
schooling here in Nigeria with my father. I think it is the fact that I spent
more time here in Nigeria that makes me understand the culture more and able to
infuse it in my music. I was a naughty boy as a kid that is normal.
So how do you deal with ladies?
Woman are the most
important people on earth because they produce. Without women we will not be
here. So I make sure I treat women with respect.
Are you in any relationship at the moment?
No. I am very
single.
And not searching?
(laughs)I am not
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