Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has opened up about the harsh criticism he has endured over the years, attributing much of it to his privileged background.
In a revealing chat on the Culture Knock Out podcast, the multi-award-winning artist spoke candidly about how being born into wealth has made him one of the most criticised celebrities in Nigeria. Despite his undeniable talent and numerous chart-topping hits, Davido believes the “rich kid” label has shadowed his journey in the music industry.
“I’m the biggest criticised artist in Nigeria. I mean, I’m on fire and I’ve been on fire for a while. In the beginning, they didn’t know that my dad was rich. So the stigma of a rich kid doing music didn’t end up as crazy as it should have been for me,” Davido said.
He went on to explain how his early success helped him avoid the initial backlash that might have come with being the son of a billionaire.
“People didn’t know my father was rich. It was too late, I already did three hit songs before they found out that my dad had money…”
Davido, the son of business mogul Adedeji Adeleke, revealed that his passion for music outweighed any concerns about public perception or family wealth. He was ready to give it all up just to pursue his dream.
“But I just wanted to do music. I didn’t care if I had to become homeless. At that point, that was all I wanted to do. Nothing would stop me.”
However, as his fame grew, so did the criticism, and much of it, he claims, stemmed from envy over his background.
“Over time, people started hating me because my dad is rich. But I keep on dropping good music, and it keeps working out.”
Davido also drew parallels between his experience and the trajectory of public figures in general, noting how admiration can quickly turn into criticism once success is achieved.
“It happens to everyone, once you become the biggest in anything, you will get criticised. You are doing an election, people love you and they vote for you. But when you become president, they hate you.”
Despite the criticism, Davido has continued to dominate the Afrobeats scene globally, proving that talent, consistency, and authenticity speak louder than stigma.
