V-103's Mix Master David talks with GRAMMY-nominated, GRAMMY-winner, hit maker, songwriter, producer, and global ambassador, Davido.
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00:00V-103
00:03Hey it's Big Smash David on V-103 and V-103 International and today we have the legend
00:08Grammy nominated winner, Grammy winner, hit maker, songwriter, producer, global ambassador
00:15but my name is Davido.
00:16My name is...
00:17You know what, I'll call him David.
00:19My name is Sick.
00:20My name is Sick.
00:21What's up man, how you doing sir?
00:23Hey, that thing will make you over there, over there in the suite.
00:27Ha ha ha.
00:28You know what I mean?
00:29Yeah, when I did that record, that's definitely the song that I knew that they was going to
00:33mess with in yacht.
00:34Yeah, because that's my...
00:35That's the permutation of that.
00:36Oh, that's dope.
00:37That's dope, that's dope, that's dope.
00:38Salute.
00:39Salute.
00:40So how you been man?
00:41How's everything?
00:42Man, I've been good man.
00:43Work, you know what I'm saying, finishing the second...
00:46Sorry, finishing the fifth album.
00:49Also, you know, got these couple of shows coming up.
00:53Just been a lot of work.
00:54Been traveling a lot.
00:55Yeah.
00:56Yeah.
00:58Speaking about shows, I see you have the big concert coming up at the side of State
01:03Farm Arena, which is your birthday, I think, too.
01:05That's your birthday, right?
01:06Yeah, it's my birthday, yeah.
01:07Yeah, so this Thursday, we're going to be inside State Farm Arena for the big concert.
01:12Second year in a row.
01:13Second year.
01:14Got to say the second year in a row.
01:15Second year.
01:16Had to do this like every year.
01:18You know what I'm saying?
01:19Probably every other year, where for now, like I probably do it like every year.
01:23I might move into another city though.
01:25That's crazy.
01:26You should.
01:27You should.
01:28I can't see Miami.
01:29I can't see D.C., Houston, Chicago.
01:30You know what I mean?
01:31Different cities.
01:32It should be a vibe.
01:33So you sold out last year.
01:36What's the anticipation for this year?
01:39You know, last year was the first one.
01:41The first one is always, I don't want to say tricky, but it's always the hardest one.
01:45Yeah.
01:46Atlanta came out crazy, sold out.
01:49My whole family was there.
01:50We had an amazing time.
01:53And what I love about this show is that apart from people coming to watch myself, they get
01:58to see other African artists that they might and might not know.
02:02You know what I'm saying?
02:03That's true.
02:04And also gives the artist exposure too.
02:06A lot of artists can't come to America and perform that easy.
02:09Yeah, that's true.
02:10Even if their music is popping here, to get a visa, it's the hardest thing in the world.
02:14Nothing but Jamaica, man.
02:15You know what I'm saying?
02:16To get a visa to perform here, that's another ballgame.
02:19You know what I'm saying?
02:20That's true.
02:21It's just crazy to give artists that opportunity.
02:24It's just crazy.
02:25And me growing up in Atlanta, you know what I'm saying?
02:27I used to go to the Hawks game all the time with my big brother.
02:30Yeah.
02:31He used to take me to the Hawks game.
02:32So just, you know, it's like a full circle moment.
02:34So it's the same thing for me as a DJ standpoint.
02:38When I'm on the road with Usher and I see him setting up all these concert venues that
02:43I've sat in the middle of.
02:44And keep in mind, I'm not the artist.
02:46I'm just doing the after parties.
02:48But when you sat in the middle of these, I was in Mawson, where the Celtics play.
02:54And I'm looking at this man really sold out this place.
02:57Street Nights, I don't know.
02:59So how do you feel that you sell out the stage for the arena?
03:03Because you live here.
03:05You're from here.
03:06You know how it-
03:07I think the best moments is when the place is fully filled up.
03:12What I like to do is when I go fight, when I go for soundcheck, I go to the arena,
03:17and I just walk around.
03:18You know what I'm saying?
03:19You know when you see-
03:20When the stage is filled up, you feel it.
03:22But when the stage is empty, and you look around, it'll be like,
03:26every single seat here is going to be filled with people that love your music
03:30and come to see you, coming from their homes.
03:33It's an amazing feeling.
03:35You know what I'm saying?
03:36You can't really talk.
03:37So you have been performing all over the world.
03:39Which one of these countries, whether Africa or the Middle East,
03:44where is that for the place for you?
03:47I mean, Africa is-
03:48I don't want to count Africa.
03:49That's all.
03:50Yeah.
03:51But definitely the Middle East, you turn it up.
03:53Man.
03:54Dubai, they love it.
03:55Yeah, Qatar.
03:56Dubai, Qatar.
03:57The Middle East loves me as well.
03:58Yeah.
03:59Definitely Europe.
04:00Yeah.
04:01France.
04:02France always goes crazy.
04:04You go back to France.
04:05Yes, France.
04:06I think you have a house in France.
04:07You have a house in France?
04:08No, no.
04:09Let's check that one out.
04:10Obviously, London.
04:11Yeah.
04:12That's basically Africa.
04:14South Africa.
04:17Everywhere, really.
04:18Everywhere.
04:19The only place I've really been is deep into Asia.
04:22I'm going to India for the first time in December.
04:26Usually, it has their own genre.
04:28They probably have their own genre.
04:29Yeah.
04:30And I just did a collaboration with one of their big artists over there as well.
04:34Their music is really rhythmic.
04:36It sounds very much alike.
04:39Yeah.
04:41I was in Ethiopia for the New Year's when you were there.
04:45Their music is getting a little bit personalized.
04:49Oh, I was there.
04:50Were you there?
04:51Yeah.
04:52I was at this nightclub called Barda.
04:53Just same day?
04:54Yeah, same day.
04:55I'll try to get you over there, but I guess somebody will pass on the message.
04:58You know what I mean?
04:59Yeah.
05:00I think Bill Shelley is going to go for it.
05:02Do you know what happened?
05:04A lot of my friends from Atlanta, my Ethiopian friends, they own clubs.
05:08The same people that own the clubs here, they own the clubs there.
05:11Yeah, that's true.
05:12That's true.
05:13When I got there, especially one of my very, very close friends, Nick,
05:16was from D.C.
05:19I just had a great show.
05:21I wanted to go out.
05:22It was amazing.
05:23I wanted to come to that show.
05:24But I was like, man, you know how it is, especially in Africa.
05:27In America, you can't sell yourself cheap.
05:31Yeah, that's true.
05:32That's true.
05:33I was like, Nick, you're my brother, but you're going to go back to D.C.
05:36I'm going to be here in Africa trying to get it back.
05:38You know what I'm saying?
05:39So I ended up not going out.
05:41But the party life in Ethiopia is crazy.
05:44Yeah, I like it.
05:45I like it.
05:46They stick to their culture, too.
05:47They love their culture.
05:48They're not going home.
05:50Yeah, exactly.
05:51So let me ask you something.
05:52This is your single.
05:53How do you pronounce it?
05:54Awoke.
05:55Awoke.
05:56Yeah.
05:57Okay, what does that mean?
05:58I mean, just different things, different meaning.
06:00But everything good in life that comes to you.
06:02You have one of the Mardis, the younger Mardis.
06:04IG, Mardis.
06:05So he's not the youngest boy.
06:06He's not the youngest boy.
06:07Yeah.
06:08He's not the youngest.
06:09Well, yeah, he's not the youngest.
06:10But one of the youngest stars.
06:11Youngest.
06:12Probably the youngest established artist.
06:13Best artist.
06:14Yeah.
06:15Amazing dude.
06:16Shout out to the Mardis.
06:17Shout out to his mom, Lauryn Hill.
06:18I met them about a year and a change ago.
06:22Yeah.
06:23I was headlining a festival with his mom, Lauryn Hill, in Australia.
06:27Yeah.
06:29And before the show, I think I went downstairs with my friend to just have a bite by a pool.
06:35And I met her people.
06:36And then from there, we just linked up.
06:38He came to my after party.
06:39At that time, I didn't even know he was doing music.
06:42Yeah.
06:43I was just like, man, you Lauryn Hill's son and Arlie's son.
06:45You lit.
06:46One single.
06:47Bring it out of here.
06:48And then the summer comes, and I'm like, what?
06:51You got to pick us all out?
06:53You know what I'm saying?
06:54And then I was like, yo, we got to.
06:56Because we were already cordial before even I knew that he was doing music.
07:00Before this all popped off.
07:01Yeah.
07:02All of that.
07:03So I was like, it was very easy for us to just link up, do the record.
07:06And what I do like about his record is that I brought it to my world.
07:10Yeah.
07:11You know what I'm saying?
07:12He delivered.
07:13You got people back home singing his verse word for word.
07:16Oh.
07:17And yeah, it was just nice.
07:18But also a pleasure to come down to Nigeria.
07:20Yeah.
07:21It was his first time in Africa.
07:22Oh, man.
07:23His father hasn't been.
07:24Yeah.
07:25I think his granddad came.
07:26Yeah.
07:27Granddad was there.
07:28Boom.
07:29Yeah.
07:30He just loved it.
07:31It was just vibes, man.
07:32You know, Nigeria and Jamaica have so many things in common.
07:34Like, even with the people, the way it looks, with the culture, the food as well.
07:39Yeah.
07:40I took him to a Jamaican restaurant.
07:41In Nigeria.
07:42Yeah.
07:43Shout out to Papa Jamski.
07:44Yeah.
07:45Let's go straight.
07:46The craziest thing is he got to Nigeria before I did.
07:50Because I still have a music in Nigeria.
07:52It's crazy.
07:53You get into culture.
07:54But more than 10 years.
07:55Yeah.
07:56More than 10 years.
07:57From 2010.
07:58From all safe, fully focused.
07:59Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:00You know what I mean?
08:01And Ethiopia is just like a three-hour flight.
08:02Three-hour flight.
08:03You got to make that happen.
08:04Me and you always talk about it.
08:05Yeah.
08:06I need to go to Ghana, Nigeria.
08:07I need to go to Tanzania, Ivory Coast.
08:10You know what I mean?
08:11Those are the places, the main places, actually.
08:14Ivory Coast, too, is getting kind of lit.
08:18So let me ask you something.
08:19You keep coming up with these melodies.
08:21You keep coming up with these big hooks.
08:24You know how to find these beats.
08:26Who's the A&R for your team right now?
08:28Or it's just a collective?
08:29I mean, everybody around me is an A&R.
08:32Anybody can just bring a record.
08:34That is my management.
08:36I have my producers that bring other producers that work with them as well.
08:41Yeah.
08:42But basically, I'm the A&R.
08:44You know what I'm saying?
08:45I mean, I get music sent all the time.
08:48But everybody knows me.
08:50If I don't like it, I'm not going to record it.
08:52So you realize that you're the template now for Afrobeat.
08:56Yes.
08:57You know what I mean?
08:58Of course, making these catchy hooks for the international market to gravitate to.
09:01Yeah.
09:02And all that stuff.
09:03And for me, I've been a fan from back in the Dabby Doo days and all that.
09:08You know, I would tell B.D.
09:10You know, that Roma days, all that.
09:12Yeah.
09:13So how is that from then to now, to here?
09:16Yo, Roma days?
09:17I never used to be there.
09:19I used to call it up on something.
09:21Come get me.
09:22That's true.
09:23That's true.
09:24But you know, life has phases.
09:26You know what I'm saying?
09:27I always knew.
09:28And the funny thing is, the whole of Roma time, Afrobeat was seen.
09:32But not in America.
09:33Not in America, yeah.
09:34We was popular.
09:35All the time I was coming to Roma, I was sending out shows in London, Paris.
09:38I'm doing all of that.
09:39Even in the US.
09:40But it's like Nigerian fans coming to the shows.
09:44So our Roma was one of the first clubs to be playing African music.
09:47Meaningful.
09:48Yes.
09:49Guess how that came along?
09:50I don't know.
09:51Because you had the Nigerian boys that had money.
09:53And they'd be like, they're not popping no bottles unless you play Dabby Doo.
09:56I remember Dabby Doo used to be one of the songs.
09:59They'd be like, with the bottles.
10:01They'd have the bottle wars.
10:02Yeah.
10:03And Africans would win every time.
10:05So the 40 story boy.
10:07My boy Kenny, the legend, man.
10:08Yeah.
10:09So, God.
10:10Kenny, African mic.
10:12South African mic.
10:15The minute they opened that club, I think they paid for it in one night.
10:20Or one week.
10:21Crazy.
10:22In one week.
10:23Because of bottle wars.
10:24So the Afrobeat Thursdays.
10:26And then you had people like Sam Q.
10:28Big up Sam Q.
10:29Yeah.
10:30And E-Cool.
10:31Was E-Cool there?
10:32I don't think.
10:33E-Cool would be more in the Metro Fusion.
10:36Yeah.
10:38And Queens.
10:39Yeah, Queens.
10:40And what's the other one?
10:41Queens.
10:42And I love Laurel.
10:43Love Laurel.
10:44Yeah.
10:45You know what I mean?
10:46So it's a proud moment to see where you have come from.
10:50Then from us.
10:51Yeah.
10:52I feel like we all kind of grew together.
10:54Yeah.
10:55The culture grew together.
10:56Obviously, like I was going back home.
10:58I remember what I used to love.
11:00I'll be telling you.
11:01I'll be like, yo, I'm going back home.
11:02I'm going to drop this frickin'.
11:03By the time I come back to America, I want to be everywhere.
11:06And then by the time I come back, you guys spread my music everywhere.
11:09I remember Skelly Woo, period.
11:11I came back.
11:12I left Atlanta for two months.
11:13Came back.
11:14It was everywhere.
11:15You know what I'm saying?
11:16So I feel like Afrobeats, the domination of Afrobeats in America.
11:21A lot of key players.
11:23Yeah.
11:24You fully focused in Atlanta.
11:26Sam Q.
11:27Sam Q.
11:28The Disco.
11:29Even up to Greg Street was playing Afrobeats music.
11:31Greg Street, yeah.
11:32Osane.
11:33Osane.
11:34The dog's name was Greg Street.
11:35Osane was the first person who was playing Afrobeats on mainstream.
11:38Yeah, B-103.
11:39Yeah.
11:402000.
11:41But is it funny when you guys see it, like, mainstream now, and people act like they know
11:45that.
11:46And you like, man, we've been on it for 10 years.
11:48I was watching the Netflix documentary.
11:50I hadn't turned it up.
11:52Yeah.
11:53Or the Afrobeats.
11:54Yeah.
11:55Yeah.
11:56I hadn't turned it up because I don't have a phone.
11:57Same time, I'm fully focused.
11:58And at the time, I mean, fully focused was up and down.
12:02But that's my point.
12:03Regardless.
12:04I'm being cool.
12:05I was cussing out.
12:06I'm like, yo, all these people talking about this, that.
12:09Well, it's all good, though.
12:12Afrobeats.
12:13Atlanta has a real grip on Afrobeats.
12:16Yes.
12:17Beats where it's at right now.
12:18I'd say Atlanta, New York.
12:20Chicago.
12:21New York is lit.
12:22New York was lit for them.
12:23New York is lit.
12:24Yeah.
12:25New York was lit.
12:26New York is lit.
12:27You're right.
12:28So I think Atlanta.
12:29Atlanta, DC.
12:30Yeah.
12:31Atlanta, DC.
12:32And Chicago.
12:33And Houston.
12:34Yeah.
12:35But Houston is like.
12:36I want to count Houston because.
12:37In Houston, if you cuss, man, Africa is everywhere.
12:40But I'm talking about like you walk into a hookah lounge where there's no Nigerians
12:46or Ghanaians or anybody there.
12:48And they're playing Afrobeats back to back.
12:50That's like DC, Atlanta.
12:51So some of you don't know.
12:53But for me, between the focus equals.
12:57We went through.
12:58We used to fight the promoters here in Atlanta to play the music.
13:01I remember one promoter said to me, David, don't play no African music.
13:05There's no Africans in the club.
13:06I'm like, bro, that's not the purpose.
13:08And it took me a year to go back to that club.
13:10Wow.
13:11Yeah.
13:12That's not the purpose, of course.
13:13But even when I was in college, my college friends, my American friends are the ones
13:19that would come to me and be like, yo, what was that you were just playing?
13:22That's hard.
13:23You know what I'm saying?
13:24That was.
13:25That's the case.
13:27But now.
13:28Americans.
13:29They love it.
13:30They love it.
13:31They love it.
13:32Because even then, we were looking at the ladies where they're partying too hard.
13:36I'm like.
13:37Yes.
13:38Even with an African.
13:39Yeah.
13:40You know what I mean?
13:41So what was this project into?
13:43How far are you from completing this upcoming project?
13:47Oh, I'd say we basically done with all the music.
13:50You know what I'm saying?
13:51Just to really turn it in.
13:52Everything's done already.
13:54I'm going to be out first quarter of the year.
13:56Yeah.
13:58Amazing album.
13:59My fifth album.
14:00Been working on it.
14:01I say I've been working on it since I dropped my last album.
14:03I never stopped recording.
14:04You know what I'm saying?
14:05I never stopped recording.
14:06Do you know when people ask you, oh, how long did this album take?
14:09I've never stopped recording.
14:10So I can never put a time on how long I worked or something.
14:14Because I just stay recording.
14:16Stay creating.
14:18And I want to pick up your lever too as well.
14:21Sony RCA.
14:22Shout out to all the team.
14:24Because in terms of marketing, they always come to me and make sure
14:28you go crazy with this one.
14:29You know what I mean?
14:30They always make an effort to push your project.
14:33So salute to RCA, Sony.
14:35Yeah, man.
14:36Shout out to the label.
14:38You know what I'm saying?
14:39If I wouldn't have been leaving before everybody did.
14:41You know what I'm saying?
14:42Putting in money, investing in the whole culture.
14:44Not only Sony, even the other big labels.
14:46And even back, if you look at it now, even all these labels,
14:50because they tend to now start having offices in Nigeria.
14:54Yeah, just to preach things.
14:56Like, okay, let me see what's going on here.
14:58Because that's where everything starts from.
15:00Before it projects to the rest of the world.
15:02Yeah, that's cool.
15:03So, let me ask you.
15:06Give me some.
15:07Who's on the album with you?
15:08Man, it's too early.
15:10At least give me one person or two person.
15:12Crazy Bro.
15:14He's on my last two albums.
15:16Oh, man, that's amazing.
15:17You have a chemistry with him too.
15:18Yeah, we make great music, man.
15:19He's a great friend of mine.
15:21A very good friend of mine.
15:24I think we have enough music unreleased to put out.
15:28You know what I'm saying?
15:29But probably worth all the effort.
15:31So, the show coming up again.
15:33I anticipate us to be at that show.
15:36So, I hope and I wish you all the best for that show and stuff like that.
15:41Thank you, man.
15:43It's going to be big.
15:44You know what I'm saying?
15:45A lot of surprises.
15:46Yeah.
15:48It's supposed to be my birthday.
15:50Thanksgiving is in a couple of days.
15:51Yeah.
15:52You know what I'm saying?
15:53We have a lot of things to be thankful for.
15:55Atlanta's going to be in the building, man.
15:57We got people flying in from all over the world.
15:59You know what I'm saying?
16:00Coming to entertain.
16:01Yeah.
16:02I just hope it hit me.
16:03I'm going to be in Atlanta.
16:04I'm like, okay, all right, cool.
16:06Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:08So, dude, yeah, yeah.
16:09Definitely, he's coming down.
16:11Maybe do a ting on stage with E-Cool or something.
16:13But, yeah, it's going to be a nice show.
16:15All right.
16:16I'm looking forward to the video.
16:17Just let me get my backstage passes and I'm good.
16:19You know what I mean?
16:20You know I got you, man.
16:21I got you.
16:22So, this is Mixed Max Davis signing off with V-103.
16:25The one man in San Davido.
16:27Next time you get a more in-depth reason and all that stuff.
16:30It won't be an interview.
16:31It will be a reason.
16:32So, I salute you, bro.
16:33Yes, sir.
16:34Congrats on everything.
16:35Thank you, man.
16:36See you at the show, man.
16:37Definitely.
16:38Definitely.
16:40We out.
16:41V-103.