Afrobeats icon Davido has finally peeled back the curtain on the music that shaped him long before he became a global superstar.
In a candid conversation at the Grammy Museum, he traced the roots of his passion back to the sounds that filled his childhood, a playlist packed with hip-hop and R&B heavyweights.
He remembered being a young boy glued to the swagger of 50 Cent, vibing to the sing-along hooks of Nelly, and admiring the larger-than-life charisma of Ludacris. But it was Usher, he said, who left one of the deepest marks.
The smooth vocals and soulful feel of 8701 stayed with him, quietly planting seeds that would grow into his own musical journey.
Davido explained that his decision to pursue music didn’t come from a single lightning-bolt moment or one defining album.
Instead, it was a blend of voices and styles, a collage of influences that guided him forward. “I have a couple of inspirations,” he shared, noting that each artist shaped a part of the path he eventually chose.
When he looks back at his own discography, one song stands out as his personal beacon: his 2014 classic, Aye. Davido hopes that this track inspires someone out there just the way his childhood idols once inspired him.
He described Aye as a celebration of African culture, a song built on rich, traditional instrumentation that manages to feel timeless no matter how many years pass.
Nearly a decade later, Aye is still one of the loudest moments at his concerts, proof of its enduring magic.
And when it first dropped, the music video didn’t just make waves; it dominated YouTube, becoming Nigeria’s most-watched video in the first quarter of 2014 and cementing its legacy as one of Davido’s most influential releases.
Davido’s story, woven from the sounds of American urban music and anchored by the heartbeat of Africa, shows just how far a spark of inspiration can carry an artist and how that spark continues to inspire others today.
Davido on the artists that inspired him to pursue music ⤵️
— “When I was younger, I listened to more of Hip Hop, so like 50 Cent, Nelly, Ludacris. Also R&B, Usher” pic.twitter.com/9bo4208HGW
— 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) December 6, 2025