[EXCLUSIVE] Wizkid, Davido at war

Wizkid and Davido at the NEA 2012
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…