David Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido, is one of the most popular stars Nigeria has ever produced. Since entering the Nigerian music scene in 2011 with his first single, 'Back When,' he has climbed the success ladder with chart-topping singles, international deals, breaking music records, and becoming one of Africa's biggest artists.
Davido At 30: OBO stands strong a decade later with these 7 major achievements [Pulse List]
In honour of Davido's 30th birthday, we take a look at some of his biggest feats.
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The singer, who turns 30 years old today (November 21), has earned honors that many people his age can only imagine, and based on current indications, it is clear that the "Elemi 9+" is genuinely a cat and won't be thrown aside any time soon because his career stands strong.
As the superstar clocks in at 30 years old, we think it's appropriate to list some of his most noteworthy accomplishments from the beginning of his career:
The first Afrobeats artist to feature on the FIFA World Cup official theme song
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Singer Davido is the first Afrobeats musician to ever appear on the FIFA World Cup theme song in 2022. RedOne's production, 'Hayya Hayya' (Better Together), served as the official music for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and featured vocal contributions by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha.
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Clothing deal with PUMA
The artist revealed a brand-new clothing partnership with the German multinational company PUMA for 2022. Being the brand ambassador for the international company, the Afrobeats star walked the runway during New York Fashion Week and has continued the trend with the new Africanized line.
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Getting featured in international movies
Davido's accomplishments extend beyond music and into film, as his songs have broken down industry barriers. His songs have been featured in international movies like 'Queen of Katwe' (2016) and 'Coming to America II' (2020), in which he also made a cameo and performed the song 'Assurance.'
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The first African artist to receive an award on the main stage of the BET Awards
Davido won Best International Act at the 2018 BET Awards, becoming the first African artist to receive his award on the main stage. He went viral for his acceptance speech, where he urged patrons and American artists to visit Africa and eat African food.
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Made Forbes and TIME's lists
Davido was included on the Forbes Africa list of under-30s who are making waves in their fields throughout the continent in 2018. He was ranked first on Forbes' list of African icons in 2021. Throughout his career, he has also been featured in numerous foreign publications, and TIME Magazine added him to its Influential 100 Next List for 2021.
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The first African to perform at the MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin)
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On November 30, 2017, Davido became the first African act to perform live at the MOBO Awards and went on to win the award for 'Best African Act.' Maleek Berry, Tekno, Mr. Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, and Wizkid, among others, were also up for the award.
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The first young artist to sell out the 02 Arena
In January 2019, 26-year-old Davido became the youngest African artist to sell out the world’s busiest music arena, the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena. The much-anticipated concert was exactly as he had envisioned it, if not better: Davido not only sold out the O2 Arena, but he also left his imprint on the historic British venue.
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BONUS: His other notable achievements include:
- Davido's music video for 'Blow My Mind' with American singer Chris Brown became the first music video out of Nigeria to surpass two million Youtube views in just 24 hours.
- In December 2018, his 'Fall' surpassed 100 million views, becoming the first to do so and also currently the most-viewed video by a Nigerian artist on Youtube.
- He became the first African artist to get a gold certification in the US as well as Canada in 2020 with 'Fall.'
- With over 30 awards, Davido is one of the African artists with the highest number of awards.
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