David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, tells Saturday Beats how he feels winning the Black Entertainment Television award and the MTV Africa Music Awards

Winning MAMA and BET

It feels so good to win the BET. Seeing the set up in LA, it was just mind blowing that I was nominated among A- list American international artistes. The MAMA and BET I have won are so close to my heart. It is the dream of every African artiste to win such awards and I got the two in one year. It is mind blowing. I just prayed to God and told Him if I deserved it, it should be given to me. I didn’t have it in mind that I was going to win because I would have felt disappointed if I hadn’t won it. I just felt that whatever God had in stock for me would be what would happen. MAMA was our own thing. We had to put on a great show for Africa. At BET category, I was nominated alongside other artistes and I have worked with all the nominees except one. I had to invite them on the stage when I won the award. We came from a far place. My flight was 18 hours. I felt it didn’t make sense to just come there and you weren’t seen. I had to invite all of them.

Receiving the award

People claimed that Africans performed to empty hall while some said we received our awards at an empty hall. That didn’t happen. I am saying the truth. BET has two channels, BET America and BET International. BET International is broadcast to the UK and other Asian and African countries. We were not segregated. I sat next to all the American artistes. BET gives its award to the best international artistes and it is aired in the UK and the rest of the world and it is not shown in America. The event showed in America is different from what the rest of the world watch. It is just step by step. Reggae music is big in America but the award is not shown on BET America.

Collaborations

Collaborating with other artistes is not a tactic that I am using to be popular. I will not ‘chop’ all the glory alone. It is just a ‘help-a-brother’ kind of thing. But you never can say; that collaboration might be big. Working together with other artistes doesn’t take anything away from you. I might not call it ‘dream collaboration’ but by His grace, I will work with Drake and with Don Jazzy. We would work on something very unique.

Hit songs

I feel it is just God. I make a song and it blows, it is just God. There is no formula, there is no juju. Concerning what motivated Aye, I was heartbroken. Sorry, I am joking. Everybody has been in love at a particular time. There is always that girl who wouldn’t want anything from you. That is what the song is about. We wanted to use a beauty queen but her contract couldn’t allow her to do it, so we ended up using the make-up artiste and it turned out very well. I have heard the rumour that the girl in the video is my girlfriend. All I can say is that she has been a close friend of mine for years.

Scandals

I started when I was very young and I got so much attention. It wasn’t funny at that time but I am a bit older. When you are a star, people are out for you. There are some people who are just there to mess you up; you just have to be careful.

Flaunting wealth

I don’t call it flaunting of wealth. It is my car, my money and it is even my page. You don’t have to follow me on my Instagram. You don’t have to follow me on the social media. It would have been different if I was advertising all this on a billboard. I am not doing that.

No ‘beef’ with Wizkid

It is even Wizkid’s birthday today (Wednesday). There is no comparison between us. I am doing my own thing and he is doing his own. There is zero per cent rivalry between us.

The family’s business

There will be that point in time when I would want to switch to another thing. It doesn’t even have to be the family business. Trust me, the money I am making now is okay for me, I can decide to start my own business. I don’t have to ask my dad for money. He has not given me money in a while. But anything he sends my way, I will gladly receive. He didn’t want me to do music at first. When a powerful man doesn’t want his son to do something, he can do all it takes to stop that. I had a lot of obstacles. But I thank God everything was resolved. Now, I’m his ‘boy.’

Humble beginning

It is crazy the way it is now. When I was coming up, nobody knew me. But now, I perform in front of thousands of people. It is the work of God. I don’t have any regret being an artiste. No way! I will not lie. I am happy. God is blessing me. I cannot deny God’s blessing.

Relationship with God

My dad is an elder in the church. We attend Seven Day Adventist. I do go to church once in a while but I am usually outside the country every weekend. But when I have the time, I go to church. I am booked till the end of this year. I don’t think there is any weekend that I am not booked. The more money you charge, the less performance you do. In a good month, I perform more than 15 times. I can tell you how much I was collecting when I started and how much I get now.

Attention from ladies

It is cool. I enjoy it. If you don’t have female fans, there will be no way for you. The men like to form like ‘bad’ guys. But once they see the females getting attached to your music, they join. I don’t want to talk about my girlfriend. I like to keep that part of my life private. I don’t see why I should talk about it.

Next album

I have about 90 songs unreleased. I don’t want to drop so many songs. I am still young. Before you know it, sounds change. I am working according to God’s plans. I am going to have a big concert in December and I will bring an international artiste to perform.



http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/saturday-beats/i-didnt-receive-bet-award-in-an-empty-hall-davido/

sounds like a cover story to me and again he is probably saying the truth

i kip lovin dix guy cuz he sing d street he knws wat d street liks