Starboy FC and DMW fans will always be faced with the argument of who is better and who has made or broken more records between Wizkid and Davido.
The 2 of them are the biggest artistes in Nigeria right now, establishing a great rivalry amongst their fans, as both individuals seek for international dominance. After the passing on of Afro beat’s legend Fela Kuti, Africans have been faced with the biggest challenge of providing a new face for afro beats.
Undoubtedly, both Davido and Wizkid have done really well for themselves by becoming two of Africa’s biggest musicians taking the Afrobeat genre to the world.
David Adedeji Adeleke, the Nigerian pop star better known as Davido, started to think about music when he first spotted a familiar face on the CD rack of a bus station rest stop. Packed between sections for top 40 and oldies was an album by Asa, a Nigerian-French singer not widely known in America. Davido had visited this station before, on trips to and from his college in nearby Huntsville and the home of relatives in Atlanta. But this was the first time he had seen Nigerian music earn shelf space in a random Southern town, and it felt like an omen. Davido was 16 when he had arrived in Huntsville, a year earlier. His father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, a well-known businessman and Seventh-day Adventist in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of over $300 million, dropped him off with his passport, $2,000 cash, and freshman registration documents for Oakwood University, a historically black Christian college. On getting to college he meet a neighbor named Jaymo, an American kid whose speakers constantly disturbed Davido’s ceiling. Jaymo had a full studio in his room, he went on to show Davido around the music world and now Davido has become one the biggest acts in Nigeria leading with individual awards. Davido who happen to be the first Nigerian to hit 2 million views in less than 24 hours, first Nigerian artiste to maintain his spot on billboards R&B/Hip-pop airplay 100 chart for four weeks. First Nigerian to organically get 1 million views on a single post on Instagram. He is the first Nigerian to hit 10 million followers on Instagram. Most followed Nigerian across all social media platforms including Facebook, twitter and Instagram, Davido is the only artist with the most viewed video on YouTube (Fall- 170 million views) he is also the first to win the BET awards on the live main stage. He recently became the first artiste to be featured on FIFA soundtrack. David Adedeji Adeleke a.k.a. Davido has become one of the most celebrated musicians in the country.
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990) known professionally as Wizkid. He began recording music at the age of 11 and released a collaborative album with the Glorious Five, a group he and a couple of his church friends formed. He started pursuing music full-time in 2006 at first collaborating with various Nigerian pop acts including OJB Jezreel, Naeto C, and Banky W. In 2009, Wizkid went on to sign a record deal with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E). He later rose to the limelight after releasing “Holla at Your Boy” the lead single from his debut studio album, Superstar was a hit back to back that traveled without a visa. Wizkid has earned various individual awards and accolades. He is the first African to hit 8 million monthly listeners on spotify. He is also a first Nigerian to reach No. 1 on US billboard Hot 100, first Nigerian to headline and sell out a show at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, London. First African to headline and sell out 5,544 seats of the Royal Hall Academy, London. First Nigerian to have two songs on US billboard Hot 100, first Nigerian to launch merchandise with Nike. Also first Nigerian artiste to walk for Dolce and Gabanna, First African artist to hit a million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours, first African to win an ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) award, first Afro-pop artiste to appear on Guinness World records. First African to secure 7 billboard nominations. Youngest African artist to receive a grammy nomination. Nigerian artist with the most award nominations, first Nigerian to hit the No.1 spot on ITunes world chart courtesy of “one dance”. First Nigerian to own his own official sports jersey.
However Wizkid and Davido are both good in their space but their fans will never let it work. Davido and Wizkid are obviously making Nigerians proud with their remarkable achievements in music as well as their personal lives.
Both parties have had some weird issues From the unpopular “proper show, proper venue” row, to the Twitter exchanges, the rumoured fight in Dubai and the post-Made In Lagos beef resumption, we’ve had some headlining moments.
But we’ve also had some proper exhibition of love between both artists. Both artiste have been able to create a big inch for themselves both locally and internationally.
- Precious Pomaa
