Nigerian musician Davido, has opened up about his early days in the industry during a recent interview with American journalist Steve Stoute.
He revealed that when he started his Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) label, he ran it for four years without taking money from his artistes.
The artist said the desire to start his label in the first place did not have a commercial idea, but he was just having fun and taking care of young artists by meeting their needs to release music.
In these early years, DMW was not just a label; it was like family to Davido. His main goal was to help his friends and fellow artists. He paid expenses such as video production, accommodation, and welfare, without seeking financial gain.
As the international appeal of Afrobeats grew, Davido realized the importance of a more commercially oriented approach. He has since emphasized this to his new DMW signees, highlighting the need to treat music as a business and generate income.
Davido’s commitment to helping others without immediate financial gain paid off, as artists like Mayorkun, Peruzzi, and Dremo flourished under his lead.
In addition to explaining these things, Davido is currently making a documentary that will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges he encountered in the music industry.
“You know at the beginning, I can say I ran my label for 4 years without taking anything, you know my label was like a family reunion, for me it was just for fun. I was paying my artists to shoot videos, and other needs,” he said.
Through this documentary, he aims to inspire budding artists by revealing the hard work and determination that is the foundation of his path to success.
