News

Davido Says Rivalry With Wizkid No Longer Drives Him

August 10, 2026 By BeatzHive Editorial 2 min read

Davido Says Making Great Music Now Matters More Than Rivalry With Wizkid

Afrobeats superstar Davido has addressed his much-discussed competitive relationship with Wizkid, explaining that his outlook has shifted away from rivalry and towards the bigger picture of the genre’s growth. In a recent conversation with The FADER, the 33-year-old singer said his energy is now channelled into the quality of his output rather than any battle for supremacy.

“Division Right Now Would Make Us Weaker” — Davido on Wizkid and Afrobeats Unity

Davido acknowledged that a competitive streak remains part of who he is, but insisted it no longer translates into hostility among the genre’s leading names. “I’m 33 years old, I think [I’m] still competing. My head is just at making good music; whoever I make it with doesn’t matter to me. Division right now would make us weaker,” he told the publication.

His remarks land roughly ten years after he first spoke about how few doors were open to African artists on the global stage. In his view, that reality has changed dramatically: Afrobeats has expanded to the point where several stars can succeed internationally at once, rather than fighting over a single opportunity.

He also pointed to the massive audience across Africa now powering the movement, complete with its own festivals, award ceremonies and streaming footprint — an ecosystem, he suggested, that rewards collaboration and collective progress far more than rivalry.

The interview arrives as Davido promotes Oriadé, his sixth studio album, which dropped on July 31. The project explores love, family and legacy, and features collaborations with both established acts and rising talents.

How the Davido–Wizkid Debate Became Afrobeats Folklore

Few conversations in African pop culture have been as persistent as the Davido-versus-Wizkid debate. For years, fans of both artists have traded comparisons and staged online battles, turning the perceived rivalry into one of the defining storylines of the Afrobeats era.

Against that backdrop, Davido’s latest comments read as a deliberately mature statement — a signal that, at the top of the genre, the priority has shifted from settling fan arguments to consolidating Afrobeats’ global influence. Whether the fan wars cool down is another matter, but the message from one of its biggest figures is unambiguous: unity strengthens the movement.

Stay with BeatzHive News for more entertainment and music news.

On X

We need to study Wizkid’s self respect — Influencer Gehgeh says, weighing in on the singer’s disposition towards Davido and Burna Boy https://t.co/YAPUgZPVfo

— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) View on X