Davido: ‘I Won’t Be 40 Still Competing With 20-Year-Olds’

Nigerian award-winning singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has called on established artistes to gradually make room for younger talents rather than continue competing with them for attention in the music industry.

According to Ireporter Online, Davido made the remarks during a recent episode of the Uncut Podcast, where he discussed the future of his generation of musicians and the importance of allowing emerging artistes to take centre stage.

The Afrobeats star said he believes he and other artistes of his generation should be approaching the later stages of their active careers within the next five to six years.

Davido argued that older artistes should not remain in direct competition with performers in their 20s, stressing that successful musicians have built enough catalogues and influence to explore other ventures beyond releasing music.

He pointed to American rapper Jay-Z as an example of an artiste who took a break from music and was still able to maintain his relevance.

Davido said his extensive catalogue would allow him to step away from music for several years and still return to significant commercial success.

He maintained that stepping back from the spotlight should not necessarily be interpreted as retirement, but rather as an opportunity for established artistes to pursue other interests while giving younger talents more room to grow.

The singer also suggested that music should serve as a foundation for artistes to diversify into other businesses and creative ventures as their careers evolve.

Davido stressed that he does not intend to remain in his 40s competing directly with younger artistes for the same spotlight, saying the industry should naturally create space for the next generation.