Maleek Berry: How Davido pretended to be poor as an upcoming artiste

Maleek Berry, the Nigerian producer turned singer, says Davido, his colleague, “pretended to be poor” during the early stages of his music career.

In a recent episode of the 90s Baby Show, Berry revealed that Davido’s cousin facilitated his connection with the singer.

The producer also recalled how he took Davido to his early studio sessions when he was still relatively unknown.

He said Davido never displayed any signs of wealth at the time, so he believed he came from a humble background.

However, Berry added that his perception changed when he visited Davido’s father’s house and realised the singer came from a wealthy family.

“I was there when Davido only had four thousand YouTube views. When he came to London, I would take him to studio in Bermondsey and record him,” he said.

“It was one of his cousins that connected us via social media. He was not even known then. We were just two Nigerian guys who loved music and got connected.

“He acted around us like one of those poor kids. But when I pulled up to his dad’s crib, I was surprised. There is money and there is money!

“I was just so taken aback because, at the time, my mind did not used to move like he [Davido] had money. He used to blend in with us. When I saw the tower, I was like, okay, they are rich.”

In 2012, Berry produced ‘Video’, a track from Davido’s debut album ‘OBO’.

His breakthrough came in 2013 with the release of ‘Your Matter’, featuring Wizkid, the Grammy-winning singer.

Since then, he has released multiple singles and projects, earning numerous accolades for his craft.