Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has opened up about the intense criticism he faces in the Nigerian music industry, which he attributes largely to his privileged upbringing.
Speaking during a recent episode of the Culture Knock Out podcast, the “Unavailable” hitmaker said he is the most criticised artist in Nigeria, not because of his music, but because of his wealthy background.
“In the beginning, they didn’t know that my dad was rich. So the stigma of a rich kid doing music didn’t end up as crazy as it should have been for me,” Davido said.
According to him, by the time people found out that he was the son of billionaire businessman Adedeji Adeleke, he had already released several hit songs. “It was too late. I already did three hit songs before they found out that my dad had money,” he added.
The OBO crooner revealed that despite his background, his passion for music was so strong that he was willing to sacrifice everything. “I just wanted to do music. I didn’t care if I had to become homeless. At that point, that was all I wanted to do. Nothing would stop me,” he said.
Davido noted that while the criticism grew over time, especially from those who felt his wealth gave him an unfair advantage, he has remained focused and consistent in his career. “People started hating me because my dad is rich. But I keep on dropping good music, and it keeps working out,” he said.
Reflecting on fame and public perception, he added, “It happens to everyone. Once you become the biggest in anything, you will get criticised. You are doing an election, people love you and they vote for you. But when you become president, they hate you.”
Despite the criticism, Davido remains one of the most successful and influential artists in Africa’s music scene.
