Coat: Casablanca, Suit: Mugler, T-shirt: Salvatore Ferragamo, Shoes: Valentino, Jewelry: Davido’s own

Talent: Davido
Photography, Creative Direction, and Production by: Mike Ruiz
Editor-in-Chief: Dimitri Vorontsov
Stylist: Darryl Glover
Stylist Assistant: Christina D. Roberts
Market Editor: Valerie Butler
Groomer/Barber: Diego Arias
Special thanks to Blonde and Co Studios
Casting/ Production: Bobby Gutierrez
Photo Assistant: Dani Sax
Location: New York, New York

Trench Coat: Bottega Veneta, Turtleneck: Fendi, Trousers: Alexander McQueen, Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti, Jewelry: Davido’s own

You are a global activist constantly campaigning for Police to EndSARS. Can you tell us how do you feel to stand up against injustice?

First of all, shout out to the brave citizens of Nigeria. That was probably the first time in my generation to have seen people come out and really protest like that. People know that I’m for the people. When that issue came up, when the whole EndSARS project came up, everybody was just obviously knowing that I was going to be involved whichever way. I attended a couple of rallies. Me and my team, we met up with the inspector general police.
We filled the airport because I knew that I had the connections to see these people that in power and speak to them for my fans, for the citizens. I wasn’t there as a leader of any movement, I was there as a citizen that was also worried about what was going on. I personally don’t really have no police trouble because of who I am, but I see that from the people on a daily. It was something I really had to get involved in.

One of your singles FEM has become an anthem for the movement. How did you make you feel when you found out?

It’s crazy because we didn’t record that record. EndSARS hadn’t even started yet. We dropped that record two weeks before. The record’s already gone, it was huge already. Then there was a little rally where this government official was speaking to the people and then somebody played the song.
They played the song, everybody’s singing. He’s trying to talk, but everybody is singing the song instead. Then somebody got the video and it just went crazy. From there, it became the anthem of the whole– I almost got in trouble. I was like, “Yo, I did record that song, but–” It was nice to see them use a song of mine to be instrumental in how they felt.

Suit: Ami, T-shirt: Christian Dior, Shoes: Saint Laurent, Jewelry: Davido’s own

Have you ever imagined your involvement growing up in Nigeria?

Just only in school I’d say I was always kind of popular. I always stood out, but I don’t think I ever put in my head like, “Oh, I’m going to be known in the whole world,” type of stuff. You know what I’m saying? Whichever vicinity I was in, whichever community I was in, I always knew that people were just fond of me, kind of. I don’t know, for some reason. I didn’t really know it’ll be through music or whichever way it came.

Do people always gravitate towards you?

Yes. I was the smallest in my class. I was like two feet, the smallest in my class. I had the most friends. It was crazy.

You were named as one of TIME100 NextGen 2021. How is this platform helping you to get your message across?

Of course, internationally it gives us, apart from being acknowledged, which is a great thing as well, it’s also spreading the story of what’s happening back home to the people over there. That, of course, we can’t knock that. There are so many people involved in this that did so much more than me that weren’t mentioned there that were way more instrumental than me. That’s why I’m really careful. I ain’t trying to take all the credit and stuff like that. You feel me?

Shirt: Ami, T-shirt: Christian Dior, Trousers: Bottega Veneta, Boots: Sandro, Jewelry: Davido’s own

Can you tell us about your mission with UNICEF?

First of all, shout out to UNICEF. First of all, I love what they’ve been doing for the continent for years and years and years. I think even before that, I’ve always been doing my work, I’ve always been trying to help the community, help kids. Even before this collaboration with UNICEF, I feel like it’s something I’ve been doing even without people knowing. That’s why I don’t really care people knowing how I help people. The most important fact is that they’re being helped and results are coming from whatever we’re doing for them.
When UNICEF came into the picture, we were like, “Yo, we can do this on a bigger scale.” It’s never been about money for me, it’s just about the platform that UNICEF has built. I’m thinking with me and what I know and the ideas I have to switch a lot of stuff around, I think we’ll do great stuff. That came along too.

You are heavily involved in developing apps like Bitsika. Can you tell us more about it?

We recently developed this app. Shout out to Bitsika. It’s like a cash app of Africa. You can send money, you can sell your Bitcoins, cryptocurrency, pay your bills, stuff like that. To me, tech is the future. Imagine how many jobs we’re going to provide in the next, let’s say, 5, 10 years when it becomes a billion-dollar company and be built like, you see how they have the Facebook City in Cali? Imagine I was building something like that in Nigeria and giving people 5,000 – 10,000 jobs.

Cardigan: Dries Van Noten, T-shirt: Salvatore Ferragamo, Trousers: Ungaro, Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti, Jewelry: Davido’s own

What was one of the biggest experiences you ever had?

I don’t know. I’ve got to split it. It’s a couple of things.
It’s just crazy landing in the country and getting a presidential welcome. I remember landing in Rwanda and the president came to pick me up himself. I’m like, “What’s going on?” I know Bill Gates doesn’t get picked up by the president. Those kinds of incidents just make me feel really good about myself and good about what I’ve made myself to be. Knowing that I have access to that. Knowing that I have access to a president that I can talk to. Even now, recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of coup d’états, a lot of military regime takeovers. I know a lot of these presidents personally. I’ve performed for them. I know, even me just having five minutes with them like, “Yo, excuse me, sir, you’ve been in power for 20 years. It’s time to let it go.” You know what I’m saying?
They get in as the hero, they get elected as the hero and the power just changes them. That’s why I keep telling myself like, “Do I think I ever, ever want to get into politics?” Because it feels like you’re the good guy until you sit down on that seat and then everything changes.
Sometimes I’ll be like, “I wish I could just call them and talk to them before stuff like that happens.”
Music-wise, just selling out arenas in the whole world. I remember going to the O2 Arena as a kid, I remember going to Madison Square Garden as a kid, Barclay Center as a kid. Selling those places out, it’s amazing to see music-wise.

When did you start playing around with the beats?
I think 14 years old. 14, that’s when I knew this is what I want to do, but I’ve been doing this since 9, 10. When I really said that was like, “This is what I’m going to fight. This is really what I want to do in life.“

What was one of the first pieces of equipment that you ever picked up?

I think that was just M-Audio. It was this little M-Audio mini-keyboard that had a little laptop. I used to use this program called Acid, I remember. I bought it in BestBuy for $50. I remember YouTube videos, I taught myself how to record. I was getting better and better and better eventually.

Turtleneck: Todd Snyder, Cardigan: Moschino, Overcoat: Moschino, Trousers: Casablanca, Shoes: Gucci, Jewelry: Davido’s own

What would be your biggest inspiration when it comes to making music?

I think just the beauty of the culture and the influence I have on the culture, making me want to make better music. When I drop a song, if somebody else drops a song that’s internationally known, I feel like I got to represent well. Just the fans, bro. Just the fans, man. Just knowing that your music makes people happy, man, that’s an amazing feeling.

Your albums “A Good Time” and “A Better Time” received a global success despite the pandemic. How did it make you feel during difficult times?

It’s crazy because my favorite thing to do is perform. Out of being an artist, that’s probably my favorite part of being an artist is performing. Not being able to perform took a toll on me. Things are opening back up. I just did a Yam Festival in the UK, performed all my new songs, they sang them word for word. That was really exciting to see. It made me feel like, “Okay, this album really ain’t going to waste because I already know like, nowhere you can’t go nowhere if they fucking with this type of shit.” That was amazing to see. I’m bout to drop one more project I think in February 2022.

What would be one of the main messages did you want to bring across to your fans through your music?

Now I make happy music, man. I know there’s a lot of stuff, but this next album, to be honest, I really spoke a lot. Normally everybody knows me for my happy beats. Music that makes a club go crazy, that’s what I make. That’s what I know how to make. I feel like with this record I really spoke a lot, took more time. I think this record will be more of the message I’m passing across more than rather than the hype. It’s more like the message that this record is going to bring.

What are you currently working on? Who are we going to see in your upcoming collaborations?

Funny enough, this upcoming album doesn’t really have that much collabs. I really wanted to make it more about Davido. Right now I’ve worked with a lot of people on this album. The producer, Timberland. There’s this new catch from New York. His name is Cappella Grey. He’s amazing. A couple of new artists from Nigeria too. This dude called Lojay. Have you heard of him? This dude from South Africa called Focalistic, he’s going crazy.
International collaborations. I know many do that, like that’s probably the last stage for me. I’m more of finishing the project to my satisfaction. If I bump into somebody I’m like, “Yo, you want to get on this for the album?” If it works out, it works out. If it don’t, it don’t. Funny enough, my biggest records are by myself.

Turtleneck: Todd Snyder, Blazer: vintage Gianni Versace, Blazer: vintage Gianni Versace, Trousers: Casablanca, Shoes: Gucci, Jewelry: Davido’s own

When are you inspired the most?

It depends but I think I’m probably a late-night person. To be honest, when everybody’s asleep that’s when I probably want to get on. When everybody’s sleeping, you’re up. I’ll say no bad energy in the world. Everybody’s asleep. You know what I’m saying? If I have to record at the daytime because of timelines and stuff like that, I will, but most times is nighttime.

Do you remember the first time hearing your song played out in public?

I cannot remember. That was a long time ago. I was happy, man. I was excited. I remember walking into stores in America and hearing my songs. They didn’t even think I was coming and I’m just walking in. It’s crazy. Sometimes I’m like, “Yo, that’s me.” They’re like, “No, sir?” I’m like, “Yes, that’s my song. That’s me.”

If you could go back to any point in your life, would you change anything or advise your younger self?

I don’t know because I feel like everything happens for a reason. I’ve been through so many obstacles that I feel helped me shape into the man I am now and the name I have now, so I don’t know what advice I’d give to myself, but when people do ask me for advice now I’m just like, “Yo, just be true to yourself and pray and just make good music and hope stuff works out. And just be good to people, help people. If you make it, help your brother, help your dude from the hood that sings too, bring them all.” You know what I’m saying? Stuff like that.