Nigerian music star Davido has opened up about feeling disrespected and heavily criticised within the music industry. In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, he described himself as “the most bashed and disrespected artist” in Nigerian music history.

“I think in the history of Nigerian artists, I have been the most bashed and disrespected artist,” Davido said, while reflecting on the barrage of online attacks he receives, especially from rival fan bases.

He revealed that fellow artist Victoria Monét was shocked by the negativity surrounding their upcoming collaboration on his album 5ive, but he advised her to ignore it. According to him, the monetisation feature on X (formerly Twitter) has encouraged users to post viral hate content targeting him.

“If you see the crazy things they say. I can’t even show my wife because I know she will break down,” he added, recounting how he once met one of his loudest critics who admitted to trolling him for engagement and money.

While addressing his relationship with fellow Afrobeats stars Wizkid and Burna Boy, Davido admitted there’s currently no personal bond with either of them. “I don’t have a personal relationship with them. I did at some point,” he stated.

However, he didn’t dismiss the idea of a future collaboration, attributing ongoing tension to those in their circles. “It’s not impossible. It’s just the people around us who wouldn’t want that to happen,” he said.

Despite playing down the tension, ongoing public spats with Wizkid and Burna Boy continue to fuel speculation that the rift among the Afrobeats Big 3 is far from over.

Watch the full interview below: