Award-winning singer Davido has opened up about the intense criticism he continues to face in Nigeria due to his affluent background.
In a recent interview on the Culture Knock Out podcast, Davido explained how his career could have been impacted if the public had known about his wealth earlier on. He shared that by the time his background became public knowledge, he had already built a strong career with several hit songs, which helped reduce the potential backlash.
The “OBO” singer stressed his unwavering passion for music, revealing that nothing would have stopped him from pursuing his dreams, even if it meant facing major challenges.
He said: “I’m the biggest criticised artist in Nigeria. I mean, I’m on fire and I’ve been on fire for a while. 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.”
“People didn’t know my father was rich. It was too late, I already did three hit songs before they found out that my dad had money…”
“But 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.”
Davido further explained that over time, the criticism increased as people began to focus on his father’s wealth, but he remained committed to his music.
“Over time, people started hating me because my dad is rich. But I keep on dropping good music, and it keeps working out.”
He concluded by comparing fame to politics, noting that public opinion often shifts as one rises to the top.
“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.”
