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…