“How Davido pretended to be poor and fooled everyone during his early music career” – Maleek Berry
British-Nigerian singer and record producer Maleek Berry recently shared an intriguing story from his early career, revealing how Nigerian music star Davido cleverly disguised himself as less fortunate during his early days in the industry.
Speaking on the ’90s Baby’ podcast, Maleek Berry reflected on his time working with Davido when they were both up-and-coming artists. He recalled their sessions at a studio in Bermondsey, London, where they would collaborate on music.
Berry noted that, despite Davido’s wealthy background, the singer effortlessly fit in with the modest lifestyle of their peers. This led Berry to initially believe that Davido came from a less privileged family—a misconception that was shattered when he later visited Davido’s father’s mansion.
In his words:
“I was there when Davido only have four thousand YouTube views. When he came to London, I would take him to studio in Bermondsey and record him,” he recalled.
“It was one of his cousins that connected us via social media. He wasn’t even known then. We were just two Nigerian guys that loved music that got connected.
“He acted around us like one of those poor kids. But when I pulled up to his dad’s crib, I was surprised. There’s money and there’s money!
“I was just so taken aback because at the time, my mind didn’t used to move like he [Davido] had money. He used to blend in with us. When I saw the tower, I was like, okay, they’re rich.”
Berry also revealed that Davido was the one who connected him to Wizkid years later.
