Entertainment
Davido Makes History as Rolling Stone Africa Cover Star
In a groundbreaking achievement for Afrobeats and Nigerian music, Davido has become the first living male artist to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Africa. This significant milestone was announced with the unveiling of Davido as the cover star for the March/April 2025 issue.
The renowned Nigerian afropop artist, celebrated for his global hits such as “If,” “Fall,” “Blow My Mind,” and “Unavailable,” has played an instrumental role in the evolution of Afrobeats and the international recognition of African music. Since his debut at the age of 19 with “Dami Duro,” Davido has established a multifaceted empire, excelling not only as a musician but also as a record label owner, mentor, and cultural ambassador. The Rolling Stone Africa cover story delves into his resilient journey, highlighting his forthcoming fifth studio album, *5ive*, and his enduring influence on the African music scene.
Obi Asika, Director General of Nigeria’s National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), expressed pride in Davido’s accomplishments.
“At the National Council for Arts and Culture, we are thrilled to embark on this expansive partnership with Rolling Stone Africa. It is fitting that our launch icon is Davido, one of the Kings of Afrobeats and a global ambassador for Nigerian music, culture, and fashion, who shares positive energy with his vast global audience,” Asika stated. He further added, “We take pride in Davido and all of our Ambassadors who continue to make Nigeria a focal point in global music, film, fashion, literature, sports, comedy, and more. Congratulations to him on his fifth album and to Rolling Stone Africa on their relaunch. Stay tuned for ‘Nigeria Everywhere’ and other unique collaborations with Rolling Stone.”
D.R. Bellegarde Smeralda, CEO of Rolling Stone Africa, also lauded Davido’s contributions to Afrobeats and Pan-Africanism.
“To kick off our partnership with the National Council for Arts and Culture in Nigeria, which will introduce our monthly segment called Nigeria Everywhere, we could not have chosen a more fitting cover story than Davido’s,” Smeralda remarked. “Davido has long been a stellar ambassador for Afrobeats and Nigerian culture on a global scale, and it is inspiring to see what he and his team have accomplished in music and beyond, consistently promoting Pan-Africanism.”
Rolling Stone Africa, launched in August 2024, aims to celebrate African music, culture, and narratives, functioning through a joint venture between the Mwankom Group and Penske Media Corporation (PMC). A portion of the magazine’s proceeds supports charities focused on preserving African history and promoting children’s welfare, underscoring its commitment to making a meaningful impact beyond entertainment.
Follow Rolling Stone Africa on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for the latest updates. Davido’s feature on the cover is not just a milestone; it embodies the unstoppable momentum of Afrobeats and the global influence of Nigerian culture.
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido has claimed that he started his life in a one-room apartment in a public compound, known locally as a face-me-I-face-you.
The singer made the claim on a song titled CFMF, off his fifth studio album, 5ive, which was released on Friday.
He claimed that he is now living a flamboyant life due to Jesus’s divine intervention.
“Take a step and walk into my life…
Started all the way from face me I face you
Face me I face you
And now, I am living real large all thanks to Jesu
All thanks to Jesu oh,” he sings.
His claim has been met with a groundswell of doubts, especially on social media, as the singer is known to be the son of billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke.
This is not the first time Davido has attempted to paint a grass-to-grace story in his music.
On his debut 2011 single, Back When, Davido claimed many ladies rejected his advances when he had no money but began chasing him after he achieved fame and success.
The song didn’t achieve much commercial success, partly due to the doubts that greeted his claims of humble beginnings, as he was known to be from a wealthy background.
Davido finally gained widespread prominence after the release of his 2012 breakthrough single, Dami Duro, where he embraced his wealthy background and boasted that he was unstoppable as the son of a rich man.
Nigeria’s popular stand-up comedian, Oluwaseyitan Lawrence Aletile, aka Seyi Law, has vowed never to support the presidential ambition of former Labour Party, LP, candidate, Peter Obi.
Seyi Law said he would never support Obi’s presidential ambition due to his failure to call the Obidient movement to order.
In an interview on the Teju Babyface podcast, Seyi Law recalled how Obidients attacked his wife and children because he supported President Bola Tinubu.
He lamented that Obi has refused to admit that Obidients attacked those who did not support him.
According to Seyi Law: “I don’t feel down at all because when you talk too much, I swear for you. One of the good things that God has done for me is that my anger doesn’t last long.
“Personal anger for me doesn’t last long. The only place it lasts long is when you leave me and attack my children, mother, and wife.
“The moment you cross that boundary from me to my children, mother, and wife — there is no forgiveness.
“That is why there is nothing on earth that Peter Obi can do that will make me support him. They (Obidients) attacked my children and my wife.
“As long as Peter Obi will not call them to order and he keeps denying that they are doing that, he will never get my support.
“Let Peter Obi wear the garment of Jesus Christ today — he will never get my support. Hate or love me, my personal way of life is between me and God.
“Any organization that does not support free thinking is a cult.”
Davido, the award-winning Nigerian singer, has released his much-anticipated album ‘5ive’.
The 17-track project, initially slated for release on March 14, finally hit streaming platforms in the early hours of Friday.
In the body of work, Davido features Jamaican singers 450 and Shensea, South African artiste Musa Keys, American musicians Chris Brown and Becky G, and French singers Tayc and Dadju.
Victony, Odumodublvck, Chike and Omah Lay are the Nigerian singers enlisted in the project.
The album’s songs include ‘5ive’, ‘Anything’, Be There Still’, ‘CFMF’, ’10 Kilo’, ‘Offa Me’, ‘Don’t Know’ and ‘R&B’, ‘Awuke’.
Others are ‘Holy Water’, ‘Nuttin Dey’, ‘Titanium’, ‘Lately’, ‘Tek’, ‘Funds’, ‘Lover Boy’s and ‘With You’.
Davido had earlier put out ‘Be There Still,’ ‘Awuke‘ featuring YG Marley, and ‘Funds‘, three tracks off the album.
‘5ive’ is the singer’s fifth studio album.
In December, Davido revealed that the album is “my story, my truth and my growth”.
“My people. The journey continues in 2025 with my new album ‘5IVE’. This is straight from the heart — my story, my truth and my growth,” he said.
On April 5, he also kicked off a five-city tour has Europe and North America in anticipation of ‘5ive’.
Born David Adeleke, Davido rose to fame in 2012 after releasing ‘Dami Duro,’ the second single from his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo’.
Since his debut album, he has delivered three other projects including ‘A Good Time’ (2019), ‘A Better Time‘ (2020), and ‘Timeless’ (2023).