The one and only Davido, the "OBO" himself, just dropped some seriously insightful truth bombs about his meteoric rise to global stardom. In a recent chat with Apple Music, while hyping his highly anticipated fifth album, aptly titled ‘5ive,’ Davido, aka David Adeleke, confessed something that might surprise even his most die-hard fans: he never initially envisioned becoming the international icon he is today.
"Never imagined it here. Forget it. I’ll be lying to you. Never imagined it," the multiple award-winning artist admitted with a refreshing dose of humility. He went on to describe the surreal nature of his early success, recalling those initial milestones: "So when things were just happening over time, we were just taking in the strides like, 'Damn, this is getting lit.' We sold out 1,000. We sold out 2,000. Damn, we sold out 30, 40… Yeah, so it’s never really… I feel like every successful person that attains a great level of success can’t explain the feeling. You know what I’m saying?"
That feeling, that almost unbelievable ascent, is something Davido clearly still marvels at. "I think just generally in life when good things are happening so quick, you don’t realize," the father of four mused. He then took us back to the genesis of his musical ambition, a relatable moment for any aspiring artist: "I actually remember the first time I was sitting in front of my laptop opening Logic and sitting down like, 'Damn, I want to make it. I actually want to be a musician. This is what I want to do,'" he began.
Davido's journey wasn't born in a vacuum. Like many of his generation, he found inspiration in the burgeoning digital landscape. "Watching MTV Cribs, watching people go on tour. I was a big YouTuber. I used to watch YouTube a lot. I used to watch vlogs. Tour vlogs, so it’s like Soulja Boy vlogs, just people about just being popular and being a star. I used to watch all that stuff, so I saw it transition into reality for me. Do you understand?" he explained, painting a picture of a young Davido absorbing the world of fame and performance through the screen.
But his story is more than just a dream realized through online inspiration. Davido's passion for his roots played a crucial role. "From the beginning, from showing my friends the culture, showing my friends like, 'Come listen to this Nigerian music,'" he recalled. This initial act of sharing his heritage eventually blossomed into a deep personal connection with the genre. "And then, actually falling in love with the genre, falling in love with music, knowing that my family’s not going to accept this, but I’ll still do it anyway, not knowing that I’ll be one of the ones to pioneer it."
That last line hits hard. Davido wasn't just chasing a personal dream; he was unknowingly on the cusp of pioneering a global movement. That rebellious spirit, that unwavering belief in his passion despite potential familial disapproval, ultimately paved the way for Afrobeats to conquer the world stage. He wasn't just making music; he was sharing a culture, a sound, a vibe that resonated far beyond the borders of Nigeria.
Now, with multiple awards under his belt and a Grammy nomination to his name, Davido stands as a testament to the power of following your passion, even when the destination seems unimaginable. His journey, from tinkering with Logic on his laptop to selling out arenas across the globe, is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the greatest successes are the ones we never initially see coming.
