Fans
dreaded this day, media experts predicted it, and even the artistes in
question tried avoiding it, but it seemed inevitable from the very
beginning – a once buoyant relationship between Ayo ‘Wizkid‘ Balogun and
David ‘Davido‘ Adeleke has finally hit the rocks.
The young pop stars are currently at loggerheads, and NET can
exclusively tell you that the vibrant ‘Wizzy’ and ‘Omo baba olowo’ are
no longer on speaking terms.
Both
artistes’ camps have taken sides and are on the verge of calling out
names; the tension between both artistes keeps threatening the air of
peace left.
Recently
Davido and his HKN label crew were reported to have walked out of the
NEA Awards show while Wizkid was performing. Fans are already asking
questions, the most popular one being ‘what started it all?’
The
dispute between Wizkid and Davido might seem sudden to the general
public, but it dates back longer than we think. The cause? You’ll have
to thank two very important men in the Nigerian music industry – D’banj
and Don Jazzy.
FIRST BLOOD
It
all started with the news of D’banj signing Davido to his DB Records
back in May 2012 – the news turned out to be false, but this obviously
didn’t go down well with the ‘other camp.’
‘You
see Davido was very close to Don Jazzy and the Mo’hits squad before
they parted with D’banj. When Jazzy heard Davido signed with D’banj, he
wasn’t entirely happy’, a close friend of both camps tells NET.
SECOND ROUND’S ON ME
Don
Jazzy is said to have immediately told Wande Coal (who mentors both
Wizkid and Davido) to stop visiting Davido at his Lekki home.
Davido,
at the time, was still recording his debut album and had plans to
collaborate with Wande and Wizzy on separate songs. When Davido
contacted Wande Coal, the pop singer’s management asked for an
exorbitant fee (reportedly N1.5m) for the collabo. Sources say Davido
was keen to get it done, but his manager Asa Asika was having none of
it. This ‘sudden policy’ led to a war of words between Asika and Wande’s
manager Nana. The collabo never happened. Wande and Davido stopped
talking and calling each other.
STRIKE THREE
Davido
moved on to record the much talked about duet with Wizkid. But when he
sent the instrumental to the EME team, Wizkid, sources say, told them he
couldn’t work with Davido on the song, saying the beat wasn’t up to
standard and he didn’t want to lower his brand. Little did Davido know
that it was his fight with Wande that made him (Wizkid) immediately take
sides.
‘Wande
is like Wizkid’s elder brother. Wizzy looks up to him a lot and
anything Wande says, Wizkid will do. When Wande told him about what
happened between him and Davido, he just took sides with him straight’,
says our inside source.
Davido,
losing on both ends, scrapped both songs and even though it was a huge
blow, he didn’t let it get him down. The disappointment is said to have
inspired the first track on his album ‘All of you.’ Davido, well known
for his boisterous attitude, laid it all out on the song, claiming to be
better than ‘everyone’, referencing artistes such as 2face, Psquare and
D’banj as his mentors, conspicuously leaving out the MAVIN and EME
crew. The MAVINS seemingly responded by not attending Davido’s album
launch held at the Eko Hotel and Suites
‘Davido
doesn’t send Don Jazzy or them Banky W again, that’s what inspired that
song, he believes they aren’t better than him and to an extent he does
prove it’ said our source.
AS IT STANDS
After
the Don Jazzy-D’banj split, crew members decamped and spoils were
taken. While Don Jazzy took with him pop singers Wande Coal, Dr SID, and
rapper D’Prince, and launched his MAVIN Records label with a surprise
signing Tiwa Savage, D’banj went the other way with his younger brother
Kay Switch. Other familiar friends like Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Davido, the
HKN Gang and Mo’Hits hype man Special Ed readily affiliates themselves
with D’banj.
SHOW AND PROVE
Music
pundits are already weighing in on what a Wizkid-Davido fight would
look like, so NET decided to do a short review of both acts.
Davido
might look like the rookie with just 21 months in the game, but with
the release of his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis,’ both
artistes are on the same level as regards the number of albums released
(Wizkid released his debut Superstar in 2011)
Wizkid
had a grand album launch at the Eko Hotel and Suites in 2011, with high
profile guests including the First Lady of Lagos State Abimbola
Fashola, Davido held his album launch at the same venue, also attended
by notable personalities, including billionaire Aliko Dangote.
Both
artistes have financial backing – Wizkid has spent the last year
performing at multiple shows, earning cool millions. Davido, not long
after the release of his monster single ‘Dami duro’ started earning big
cash, performing in shows as far as Malaysia. We won’t even mention his
billionaire dad’s backing.
‘Davido
is throwing all the money into his music; he shot four videos before
the release of his album and has shot another two. He plans to even
shoot more’ a friend adds.
International
recognition and collaborations? Wizkid easily leads in that area,
having recorded with Akon, with unreleased material with rappers Wale,
Young Jeezy and Kardinal Offishal. But it’s only a matter of time before
Davido jumps on the train, starting with a rumoured remix of his
‘Ekuro’ single with Akon.
Davido
equally matches Wizkid’s artistic versatility with sheer energy and an
ear for contemporary sound. For every song Wizzy switches his flow from
Fuji to R&B to Patois, Davido releases ‘today’s music’, easily
turning his songs into chart toppers. Talented duo!
Both
artistes have solid backing from their labels. In 2012, Banky W finally
moulded the EME crew into a powerful unit, with extra signings Niyola,
Shaydee and affiliates Rotimi and X.O Senavoe. Davido has kept the
business within the family – signing his cousins Sinarambo, B.Red,
former Mo’Hits affiliate producer Shizzi (Dami duro) and DJ Snatch.
WHAT ARE THE FANS SAYING?
Fans
are closely watching who will call the other out first, but are already
baring their minds, with Wizkid receiving major support. But, some say
it might not matter at all.
‘These fans supporting Wizkid, would they stop dancing to Davido’s music in the clubs? Not possible,’ a mutual friend says.
We wish the Superstar and Omo baba olowo all the best…
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