Davido was one of the headliners at this year’s United Masters SelectCon 005. The event, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 14 at New York City’s Terminal 5, was dedicated to teaching aspiring music artists financial literacy in the industry. There, the Afrobeats superstar had a conversation with United Masters’ founder Steve Stoute about his personal journey through the music business, faith, and what he has in store for fans in the near future.
As previously reported by REVOLT, Davido lost his 3-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, on Oct. 31, 2022. The toddler drowned in a swimming pool at his parent’s house in Lagos, Nigeria. During the panel, the “FEEL” singer confirmed that his wife, Chioma Rowland, recently gave birth to twins. He also revealed that he is working on a new docu-series with Netflix that will focus on his healing journey, set to air in December. “You’ll see a lot of things in the documentary where I was at the point of giving up. I thought I was never going to be able to even sing ever again. I’m telling God, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ After that, I had my most successful year… I’ve had my biggest album, you know? Three days ago, my wife delivered twins… A beautiful boy and beautiful girl, came back in double,” Davido said.
He continued, “I really want people to see that side of me and also see the fact that I still kept faith. It’s very hard. A lot of people that those things happen to, you would never want to believe in God ever in your life … When my wife and I found out, we were shaking, like, ‘What the f**k?’… and it was in the same month. My son passed away last year [in] October and my wife gave birth this year [in] October. It’s crazy.”
REVOLT also got the chance to catch up with Davido for an exclusive after the panel. Get into that chat below, where the superstar discusses life lessons, the future of Afrobeats, collaborating with Latto and more.
How did it feel to share your success journey with people who are trying to get into the music industry?
Funny enough, I was looking at a couple people in the crowd and I remember being there at a time, watching people talk about success, and for me to just be sitting in the seat, and to be able to share my story and tips on how I did it … But, I feel like everybody has their own journey, so I can’t really sit here and tell you exactly what to do, but I can tell you things that helped me personally, you know? Thank you, Mr. Steve for inviting us. Things like this help our culture because it opens up doors for other people to do talks like this and invite not only myself but other [Afrobeats] artists in the future.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned while becoming a superstar?
Man, just patience. Believe and just having the right people around you. I feel like people’s energy around you is one of the main things … I feel like that has helped me just ground myself. My boys know that they can come tell me anything; there is no “yes man” around me. It’s a “boss, you f**ked up” type s**t. And, I have a great family behind me, as well. So, it’s a lot of things into one.
Afrobeats is one of the biggest genres in the world right now. What do you predict for its future?
I predict we are just at the beginning. Yes, Afrobeats is growing and I’m happy for that, but we still have a long way to go. There are so many talented African musicians that I know from back home in Nigeria and throughout Africa that the world does not know yet, but they will. Good things are coming.
One of the remixes to your hit song “Unavailable” featured Latto. A lot of fans were wondering what made you connect with her?
Latto is one of the most talented rappers in the U.S. right now. I’ve been wanting to work with her, so I was happy when we [were] able to make it work on one of the remixes of “Unavailable.”
You’ve been through a lot. What mindset are you in right now?
Yes, as I said when I started the Timeless project, there is a time for everything. And right now, I am in a space of being so glad to be able to perform and see my fans again. I am so grateful right now for the support and love I’ve received.