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‘Dangote is his godfather’… and 10 other things we learned from Davido’s interview with Fader

Davido, on Thursday, made history with Fader Magazine, to become the first Nigerian to be featured on what was Fader’s first global issue.

The Nigerian artiste revealed quite a few things to the US-based magazine, in his first major interview since signing his ‘million-dollar’ deal with international corporation- Sony Music Global.

YNaija has a compiled a list of 11 things we picked up from the interview.

  1. Davido started making music from a neighbours’ room studio.

Davido got drawn to making music- during his University days in Oakwood university, Atlanta, when he teamed up with a neighbour called Jamo, whom he met by chance.

Davido said: “One day, I went to go check what the noise was. I went upstairs, opened the door, and the guy had a full studio in his room. I told him that I was trying to do music, too. He asked me, ‘How much do you have to invest in equipment?’ And I said, ‘$2,000.’ He was like, ‘That’s too much.”

They ended up going to Guitar Center with $500.

2. Davido’s father once got him arrested

We know a bit of the story of how he dropped out of school but we never knew he actually went ‘off the radar’ for months.

Davido simply ‘upped and left’ school and boarded a plane to London.

But Dr Deji Adeleke, his father was on the lookout for the then-truant son.

He got the police to arrest him at the Lagos international airport when he resurfaced in Nigeria, in 2011.

3. Davido’s godfather is Aliko Dangote

This gist has been circling through the grapevine for years, but then, it was always a rumour.

Never confirmed… until now.

According to the New York based magazine, Davido’s father and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, are indeed very close friends, and the latter is the artiste’s godfather.

4. Davido’s father funded a music department at Babcock University for his son to pursue his dream

What a sacrifice… an expensive one, we must say.

The magazine said that due to the massive popularity Davido gained from his second single, Dami Duro, his father was won over and in order to allow his son pursue his passion and also have a degree, he paid for a music department in Babcock University- so his son could kill two birds with one stone.

“After the song blew up, Davido, still a student, declared he no longer wanted to study business, and Chief Adeleke paid for the university to erect a music department for an inaugural class of one.”

5. Davido paid Meek Mill $200,000 for the feature on Fans Mi

From the interview, it was revealed that the singer spent $200,000 for his Fans Mi collaboration with US rapper, Meek Mill.

6. Davido’s house in Atlanta was once raided by the police

Even Davido- the Omo Baba Olowo of Nigeria- has gotten the ‘He is African and how is he this rich’ treatment abroad.

His house in a highbrow area in Atlanta, which is home to celebrities such as US rapper Future, once got raided by the police because they suspected he was into some fraudulent activities for him to be able to acquire such an expensive property.

7. Davido says he’s never ‘directly made money [from] my music’

“I have 100 million views on YouTube but I have never directly made money [selling] my music. Zero. That’s nonsense.” Davido lamented to the magazine.

8. Davido has spent $1 million on his next album –Baddest

If indeed, the figure quoted by Fader is factual, one wonders if Davido hopes to make the money back from the album’s proceeds.

‘Davido has already spent two years and around $1 million of his own money on the record’, the interviewer wrote.

9. Davido may feature Future on his Baddest album

International artistes like Trey Songz, T.I have been touted to possibly make Davido’s album- but if we are to go by what Davido told Fader, American Trap artiste, Future is also going to make an appearance ‘on at least one song’.

10. Davido reveals the reason Don Jazzy might have cut off ties with Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music

Remember when D’banj and Don Jazzy split in 2012, it was widely believed that the G.O.O.D music deal might have been a decisive factor in their break-up as Don Jazzy wasn’t as invested in the G.O.O.D Music deal, as D’banj was.

Davido may have further buttressed the assertions when he told The Fader of an occurrence when Don Jazzy- the biggest music producer in Nigeria if not Africa- was called by Kanye West into a room of 20 other producers to make music for him- which he says might have made the Don a bit uncomfortable.

11. A collaboration with Idris Elba and Wizkid in the works?

During the Interviewer’s 4-day stay with Davido, he witnessed inquiries for song collaborations from British actor/DJ Idris Elba and perceived music rival, Wizkid.

He wrote: “As we drive, Kamal’s two phones buzz nonstop with requests. Someone asks about a fashion endorsement. Idris Elba is in town for a movie premiere and wants to talk about recording a song together.  When one call comes through, Kamal answers gruffly, then warms up. “Nah, bad boy!” he exclaims, simultaneously teasing and complimenting the caller. It’s Wizkid himself, asking whether Davido might be down for some sort of collaboration, an official end to the stalemate. Days later, Davido remains enthusiastic about the possibility. “We’re gonna give them What a Time to Be Alive—African version,” he says, a grin creeping across his face.”

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