How childhood friend helped shape my music career, Davido

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Davido has revealed that a significant part of his musical journey is owed to a childhood friend and former staff of his late mother, known as Lati. Davido emphasized Lati's crucial role, stating, "Without Lati, there’s no Davido."

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Without Lati, there’s no Davido.

Davido recounted that Lati was employed by his mother before her passing. After his mother's death, Lati remained a presence, and despite being asked to leave by his stepmother, he continued to be close to Davido. As the youngest staff member in the household, Lati shared a relatable bond with Davido. Lati, who was involved in music production and DJing, would secretly take a young Davido to recording studios, exposing him to the music-making process.

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Lati would sneak me in his car, go to the studio, sneak me in his car. He used to do music, he used to do music and DJ. So then he would carry me to the studio.

Their close connection was temporarily interrupted when Davido was sent abroad for schooling around age 12 or 13. However, upon his return to Nigeria at age 14, Davido sought out Lati. During this reunion, Davido shared his full-time commitment to music and promised to bring Lati along once he achieved success. Davido affirmed that he fulfilled this promise, and Lati joined his team after his rise to stardom, though he now works in the oil and gas sector.

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I told Lati, I was like, man, Lati, I’m doing music too now. Full time. Don’t worry. I’ll blow. When I blow, I’ll come and get you. We’re going to travel the world together.