Renowned singer David Adeleke, widely recognized as Davido, has attributed the global success of the current generation of Nigerian artists to the pioneering efforts of Afrobeats legends like 2Baba, D’banj, and P-Square. He emphasized that the sacrifices made by these icons have paved the way for the current wave of artists to thrive on the international stage.
Davido expressed optimism that the next generation of Nigerian artists would achieve even greater success, thanks to the groundwork laid by him and his contemporaries. Reflecting on his own experience, Davido recounted how, upon signing with an international record label in 2016, he faced the challenge of convincing them of his superstar status in Africa, as they initially underestimated his influence and popularity.
He said, “When I first got signed to an international label, Sony in 2016… When we come and sign record deals overseas, they don’t know that we are superstars back home. I came straight from Mali where I performed at 60,000-capacity stadium to sign the deal. But when you sign a new deal they want you to prove yourself again.
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“I told my manager that I am not starting again o! But then it takes time to understand that we are sacrificing now. What D’banj, P-Square and 2Face sacrificed for us is what we are enjoying now. What we are sacrificing now the next generation will profit from it. The next generation would be bigger definitely because the [Nigerian] music is only going to grow bigger.”
