Being a rich man’s son made me an easy target— Davido opens up

Afrobeats star Davido says no Nigerian artiste has suffered more trolling and disrespect than him.

Speaking about his journey in the music industry, Davido said being the son of a wealthy man has made him an easy target for constant criticism.

“In the history of Nigeria, I think I’m the most bashed and disrespected artiste. In Nigeria, if you’re the son of a successful man, you gonna get it,” he said.

Davido added that even his signees sometimes struggle with online trolls, but he always advises them not to focus on negative comments.

Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke, is a Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, singer, songwriter, and record producer.

He’s one of Africa’s biggest music exports, known for hit songs like Fall, If, Unavailable, and Feel. He’s won numerous awards, sold-out concerts globally, and collaborated with international stars like Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, and Popcaan.

His father is Adedeji Adeleke, one of Nigeria’s richest businessmen. Adedeji Adeleke is the founder and CEO of Adeleke University and chairman of Pacific Holdings Limited. He’s a billionaire with investments in education, oil & gas, real estate, banking, and more.

Davido grew up in luxury, and this has often made him a target for criticism in the Nigerian music scene, where many respect artistes who “came from the bottom.”

Despite his talent, trolls constantly accuse him of having it easy because of his father’s wealth — a narrative Davido keeps fighting against.