Davido's biography: his real name, family legacy, musical milestones, and personal life

Davido is among Nigerian musicians who have been making Africa proud in recent years with their scintillating lyrics and mesmerizing Afro beats the world cannot seem to get enough of. Read Davido's biography to know how he became an artist, even after his dad opposed it at the beginning. The article also delves into his wealth and controversial baby mama stories he has been linked to.

Key takeaways about Davido

• Davido specializes in Afrobeats, Afropop, R&B, and dancehall music genres.
• He is affectionately called the "King of Afrobeats" by his fans, the "30BG/30 Billion Gang."
• His fans call him O.B.O. (Only By God), meaning his achievements are a result of divine grace.
• His fans also call him "001" and "Baddest" because they consider him the best in the industry.
• He mentors upcoming artists and has nurtured careers of several singers through his label.

Davido's profile summary

Davido's biography

Davido, whose real name is David Adedeji Adeleke, is an American-born Nigerian recording artist, songwriter, and record producer.

What was Davido's date of birth?

Born on 21 November 1992, Davido is 32 years old (as of June 2025).

Where in Nigeria is Davido from?

The singer was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria.

What tribe is Davido?

Davido is Yoruba because his father is from the Yoruba tribe. The singer also has Igbo heritage from his paternal grandmother, and Edo heritage from his mother. While Davido's dad is from Ede, Osun State, his late mum was from Benin City, in Edo State, Nigeria.

Who are Davido's parents?

His parents, Adedeji Tajudeen Adeleke and Veronica Imade Adeleke, tied the knot in the '80s and were married for 15 years, until his mum passed away on 6 March 2003 at the age of 39.

What happened to Davido's mother?

On Thursday, 6 March 2003, Mrs. Adekele attended her husband's 40th birthday celebration in church. After the party, she went home and locked herself in her room, where she was later found dead. It was said that her death was drug-induced but no one from Davido's family members has ever confirmed this.

What does Davido's father do?

Davido's father is a business magnate with various sources of income including a $2 Billion power plant and multiple real estate investments in Nigeria. He is also the CEO of Pacific Holdings Limited, the president of Adeleke University, and owns the Adel Real Estate Company, which has investments across Nigeria, including high-value areas.

What profession was Davido's mother into?

Mrs. Veronica Adekele was a lecturer at Babcock University in Osun State, Nigeria. She also established David's Security agency and was a founding member of David's Band, which was famous in the '60s. Both the agency and the band were named after her son.

Who are Davido's siblings?

Davido is the youngest of five siblings and his father's third-born son. He was raised alongside three of his siblings: half-brother Adewale and sisters Sharon and Ashley Coco, and they all share a close bond to date.

Adewale Adeleke Jnr.

Adewale (born on 11 December 1988) is from Chief Adekele's first marriage with a California-based attorney called Grace Ajunwa. He is a music producer and one of the directors at Pacific Holdings, the company founded and owned by his father.

Along with his elder brother Adewale Adeleke, Davido is the co-owner of HKN Music (a record label home to Sina Rambo, B. Red, and DeeKay).

Adewale and his beloved wife, Ekan Kani, have two children. Their second child was born in September 2024.

Sharon Adeleke-Ademefun

Davido's sister, Sharon Ademefun (born on 28 March 1991) is the founder and CEO of Rona Wigs Studio, a business that makes hairpieces and extensions. She taught herself how to make wigs by watching YouTube videos. Sharon is married to a businessman, Yomi Ademefum, a marriage which is blessed with three kids.

Ashley Coco Adeleke-Adaji

Davido's younger sister, Ashley Coco Adeleke (born on 29 April 1995) is the founder of Coco’s House of Fashion, a clothing line for women of all shapes and sizes.

Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, she works with several non-profit organizations that address critical issues such as education and healthcare in Nigeria.

Ashley and her husband, Caleb Adaji, have been married since 2016 and are blessed with children.

Educational background

The Assurance singer started his schooling at the British International School in Nigeria before moving to Oakwood University in the United States for tertiary education. However, he dropped out of the Business Administration degree after some years to focus on his music career in Nigeria.

His father tried to make him return to the US to complete his university education. After several failed attempts and a series of arguments between the two, they agreed to have Davido finish his education in Nigeria with his dad's financial support.

What did Davido study in university?

After returning to Nigeria in 2011, Davido paused his music career and agreed to honor his father by enrolling at Babcock University, from which he graduated in July 2015, with a degree in music after his father paid the university to start a music department for an inaugural class of one student.

Davido's career

Davido's career, while successful and impactful, has not been entirely smooth. His early career involved a period where he was viewed as a "rags-to-riches" story, despite his privileged upbringing. This led to some criticism and scrutiny, particularly when his debut single, Back When, was released.

What was Davido's first song and year?

The singer released a single track titled Back When in 2011 while still an undergraduate student at Babcock University. The song featured Nigerian rapper Naeto C.

He would then record his debut album Omo Baba Olowo between 2011 and 2012. The album's title is in Yoruba language. It means "the son of a wealthy man" in English.

Davido's debut album had songs like Dami Duro, Ekuro, All of You, and Overseas, which were well-received throughout Nigeria. He has since won multiple awards for various songs, including:

• Aye: Won Song of the Year at The Headies.
• If: Won Song of the Year and Artist of the Year at The Headies.
• Fall: Won Best Song at the Headies.
• Assurance: Won Best Song at the Headies.
• Sensational: Chris Brown Feat. Davido & Lojay won Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album and Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) at the NAACP Image Awards.
• Hmmm: Chris Brown Feat. Davido won Outstanding International Song at the NAACP Image Awards.
• Unavailable: Nominated for Best African Music Performance at the Grammy Awards, Billboard.

Davido's studio albums

The Nigerian Afrobeats star has released five studio albums as of June 2025. These albums are:

• Omo Baba Olowo (2012)
• A Good Time (2019)
• A Better Time (2020)
• Timeless (2023)
• 5ive (2025)

Davido's new song and album

His latest single, With You, features singer Omah Lay. The track dropped on YouTube on 18 April 2025 and garnered over 8.9 million views within a month.

Davido's fifth studio album, 5IVE IS ALIVE, also came out on the same date. It contains a total of 17 songs, including his collaborations with artists like Chris Brown, Becky G, and Victoria Monét.

Who is Davido's wife?

Davido's wife is Chioma Avril Rowland (Adeleke). She is from the Igbo tribe and was born on 30 April 1995, in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The two were confirmed to be married in March 2023, with a luxury wedding held in Lagos in June 2024.

Chioma and Davido's traditional wedding was a star-studded affair, drawing an elite crowd, from top-tier entertainers and public figures to governors, monarchs, senators, billionaires, and politicians.

How did Davido meet his wife?

Davido met his wife Chioma, also known as Chef Chi, while they were both students at Babcock University. A video on TikTok shows Davido explaining how he met her at Babcock, where he was in classes for about a year before his music career took off.

The two have been together ever since. Even when Davido's alleged numerous cheating scandals came to the light of the public, Chioma refused to leave him.

Davido's children

Davido has five children, three girls, and two boys, but lost one son. He has had three children with his wife, Chioma, and two more with different women.

Who are Davido's children with Chioma?

The singer shares three children with Chioma Avril Rowland: twins, a boy and a girl, and their first son, David Adedeji Adeleke Jr. (famously known as Ifeanyi), who sadly passed away.

Ifeanyi (born on 20 October 2019) died on Monday, 31 October 2022, after an incident in the home in Banana Island, Lagos. The three-year-old was declared dead at a hospital after drowning in the family's swimming pool.

What are the names of Chioma and Davido's twins?

A year after Ifeanyi's death, Davido and Chioma welcomed twins on 9 October 2023, whose names have not been publicly revealed. The twins were born in the US.

Who are Davido's children with the other women?

Imade Aurora Adeleke, Davido's firstborn child and eldest daughter, was born on 14 May 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria. Her mother is Nigerian model Sophia Ajibola Momodu.

Davido is close to Imade and even attended her 10th birthday on 2 June 2025 in Miami, Florida. His second daughter, Hailey Veronica Adeleke, was born on 9 May 2017. Her mother is Amanda Brown.

His third baby mama Larissa London, also known as Yasmin Larissa Lorenco, is the mother of his son Dawson Noe Adeleke. The singer celebrated the boy's 5th birthday on 26 March 2025.

Larissa is a makeup artist based in the UK. In the video clip seen in June 2023, she revealed her son's Yoruba name as Tunji, a name chosen in connection to her baby daddy, Davido, being of Yoruba.

How many baby mamas does Davido have?

Davido's three baby mamas, Sophia Momodu, Larissa London, and Amanda Brown, are known to the public. Nonetheless, multiple social media posts and news articles claim he has more.

For instance, a woman known as Ayotomide Labinjo claimed in 2017 that she had a child called Anuoluwapo Michelle Adeleke with Davido. The singer denied fathering the four-year-old girl who was about to turn five.

When the DNA results returned negative, the lady accused Davido of bribing the doctor to falsify the paternity test results. Sources would later claim that it was after this that Davido paid her off "out of pity."

A post shared on an Instagram account with username, @lindaikejiblogofficial, also claimed on 28 June 2023 that an American lady called Anita Brown claimed to be pregnant for Davido shortly after his baby mama, Amanda Brown, shared a photo of her carrying Davido's child.

How much is Davido worth?

According to Celebritynetworth, Davido's net worth is around $100 Million, making him one of the richest in Nigeria and Africa.

What made Davido rich?

His wealth comes from his music career and various endorsement deals. Davido has been a brand ambassador for companies like MTN Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria, Infinix Mobile, 1xBet, Martell, and Puma. Additionally, Davido's wealthy family, particularly his father, an established businessman, has also contributed to his financial success.

What does Davido own?

Davido owns the Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) record label, has established Nine+ Records in collaboration with UnitedMasters, and owns a private jet line called the Adekele Jetline. Additionally, the singer is a director on the board of Pacific Holdings Limited, a family business.

How many private jets does Davido have?

Social media users claim Davido has at least three private jets:

• A Bombardier Challenger 605 - Worth around N14 Billion
• A Bombardier Global 6500 - Worth around N63 Billion
• A Bombardier 7500 (New) - Worth around N99 Billion

Does Davido own a house?

Singer Spyro claimed in January 2025 that Davido owns multiple mansions on Banana Island, contrary to Burna Boy's subtle shade implying otherwise. According to Spyro, Davido has not only one but several houses on the island and had moved into a new mansion from a previous one.

Fun facts about Davido

• He comes from a wealthy background, with his dad being a Nigerian billionaire.
• His grandfather, Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke, was a politician and a senator in the Old Oyo State
• Singer B. Red's father, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, is Davido's uncle.
• The late Senator Isiaka Adeleke was Davido's uncle.
• His grandparents were, Senator Ayoola Adeleke and Esther Adeleke.
• He inherited his love for music from his mother who was a music enthusiast.
• He was exposed to a diverse range of music through visits to siblings in London and Atlanta
• He has produced songs for Naeto C, Skales, Tiwa Savage, and Sauce Kid.
• He loves Nigerian dishes like white rice with stew, pepper stew, and seafood Okro.

From Davido's biography, you can see how made a significant effort to build his music career, even when faced with his father's initial reservations about pursuing it. Although his dad provided financial support after seeing his persistence and determination, Davido was determined to make it in the music industry independently.

As published on Briefly.co.za, Kel Mitchell's net worth may not be as high as some of his contemporaries in the acting world, but he has been able to keep his name out of bankruptcy talks.

Interestingly, the actor and comedian continues to get acting gigs while co-producing some of his shows. So, how much is he worth? Find out from the post.

Source: Briefly News