EARLY LIFE EDUCATION CAREER Words by Kunle Adeleye Early Life Adedeji Adeleke and Vero Adeleke gave birth to their fifth and final child, David, on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia. A Nigerian business tycoon, Adedeji Adeleke, and his mother Vero are both university professors. March 3, 2003, was the date his mother died. Education Before moving to Alabama to pursue Business Administration at Oakwood University (Huntsville), Davido attended British International School (VIS) on Victoria Island (Lagos). He enrolled at Babcock University, Ogun State, after consulting with his father and completing his degree there in 2015. Career In 2011, Davido launched his music career. Back When, the lead song from his debut album, Omo Baba Olowo(OBO) was released on May 7, 2011. Naeto C was the star of the show and it quickly became a hit. It was Sina Rambo and Ice Prince who appeared in the songs, Dami Duro and All of You as well as Overseas and Feel Alright. The release of ‘Dami Duro’, his second song, in October 2011 propelled him to superstardom. There was also a lot of love for the music video for this song, which was released in January 2012. The Headies 2013, awarded Davido the ‘Best R&B/Pop Album’ and ‘Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year’ accolades for his debut album, which was published in 2012. At the 2013 Nigerian Entertainment Awards, it was nominated for ‘Best Album of the Year’. In 2012, he released the singles, Overseas and All of You. In 2013, Davido began working on his second studio album, ‘The Baddest’ which was released in February 2013. In May 2013, he released “One of a Kind” which was followed by “Skelewu” in August and Aye(February, 2014). Lola Rae, Mi Casa, Tiwa Savage and Diamond Platnumz collaborated with Davido in June 2014 to record a song for the ‘Africa Rising’ campaign. The song’s purpose was to persuade his fellow countrymen to get involved in a local social investment initiative. Davido has a sponsorship deal with MTN and Infinix Mobile. Guinness Nigeria signed him up and he played at the ‘Guinness World of More’ concert as part of the agreement. His contract with Sony Music was inked in 2016. ‘DMW - Davido Music Worldwide’ was created as a result of this. RCA Records, a subsidiary of Sony signed him in the same year and issued an EP titled ‘Son of Mercy’. ‘How Long’, ‘Gbagbe Oshi’ and ‘Coolest Kid in Africa’ were all singles on the EP. A few concerns with creative control had caused him to change his deal with Sony Music. In the latter half of 2018, he went on a North American tour, appearing in events and concerts around the country. 12 www.glamsquadmagazine.com
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