Afrobeat sensation, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has blamed his fans for his struggles with industry rivals.
The singer made the revelation during a recent podcast session, where he discussed the challenges he has faced due to his followers’ actions.
Davido recounted an instance where his fans allegedly leaked his album. He explained, “Before the album came out, I called one of my fans because I couldn’t reach them all. I said, ‘Last time I dropped my album, you guys were just bashing everybody, so when it was my turn to come out, there were just unnecessary things happening.'”
He also shared an incident involving international artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby. “Even Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby called me; the other fans were DMing them, asking why they did a song with me. So before the album came out, I told them, ‘Look, I don’t want any drama.’ I was like, I was even with Wizkid earlier this week.”
According to Davido, the pressure from his fanbase has affected his relationships with other artists. “You don’t have to treat anybody or say this one is better than that one because I won’t lie to you, it affects you sometimes,” he admitted.
Davido reflected on a specific instance where the negative actions of his fans had a significant impact. “I remember this one for a fact, like when they were treating Nicki, Lil Baby, and I even did a video, because it’s a mental thing. If I see the song on my phone, I’m like ‘ahn ahn.’ If I go to Tanzania and do a song with an artist, and I get back home and I’m seeing hate comments, or maybe the artist I did a song with has a rival and they are mad, it can change your mind.”
Learning from past experiences, Davido made a conscious decision for his latest album. “This is my first album where I didn’t feature any U.S. artist,” he revealed, highlighting his growth and the lessons learned from previous projects.