From chart-topping hits to fiery Twitter feuds, the decade-long rivalry between Nigerian music stars Davido and Wizkid has kept fans on the edge.
Undoubtedly, David Adeleke and Ayodeji Balogun are two of the forerunners of the Afrobeats genre in the last decade as Nigeria’s biggest music exports.
They kickstarted their journeys almost simultaneously, with Wizkid’s ‘Holla At Your Boy’ in 2010 and Davido’s ‘Back When’ in 2011. Since then, they’ve been unstoppable forces, dominating everything from awards to the charts, with hit after hit and die-hard stans: Wizkid FC to the 30BG gang.
Their influence isn’t just in numbers but in the enthusiasm of their fans, who show unwavering dedication akin to a cult following. Their impact resonates globally, from selling out arenas like the O2 to making waves as far as Suriname. Wizkid and Davido aren’t just names; they’re legends in the making, leaving an indelible mark on the music landscape, both at home in Nigeria and across the world.
What began as a friendly competition between two rising stars evolved into a ten-year saga marked by moments of collaboration, contention, and everything in between.
One word that captures this decade of discord between the duo is “conflict.” It combines the idea of a bromance with conflict, visible in a relationship that’s not quite the typical heartwarming friendship. So is their rivalry, one of the most fascinating in Nigeria’s Afropop music history—not even the Plantashun boiz rivalry nor Remedies trio rivalry could match its riveting timeline.
The Davido-Wizkid feud seemed destined to endure, leaving a trail of broken friendships and shattered egos.
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Buckle up for a journey through the highs, lows, and electrifying showdowns that have defined the Davido-Wizkid beef over the past ten years, as PREMIUM TIMES takes us down memory lane of this decade-long ‘reflect’ relationship, which has been primarily fueled by their die-hard fan base for over a decade.
2010 – The dawn of a rivalry
Wizkid’s breakout hit “Holla At Your Boy,” released on 2 January 2010, and Davido’s debut “Back When,” on 29 May 2011, catapulted both singers into the spotlight.
As they emerged as frontrunners of the Afrobeat scene, whispers of rivalry began to surface, mainly amongst the fans, when they started comparing and making distinctions between the rising stars.
However, throughout this time, despite occasional jabs by fans, Wizkid and Davido maintained a facade of camaraderie. It was not until 2014 that the real discord emerged.
2014 – Word War I
What had started as a mere comparison soon grew into a full-fledged war of wars, as the feud reached new heights when they took their battle to Twitter, now known as X.
It all began with a seemingly innocuous tweet from Wizkid on 28 July 2014, sent out…
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