VIDEO: There was a time I was broke, Davido recalls struggling after leaving home

Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has revealed that he experienced financial hardship at the early stage of his music career despite being born into a wealthy family.

The singer made the disclosure during a recent episode of the Uncut Podcast, which began trending on Tuesday.

Davido said his debut single, Back When, in which he rapped about being broke and rejected, was inspired by his personal experience.

According to the singer, he found himself struggling financially after rebelling against his father, billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke, who wanted him to pursue his education rather than music.

Davido said he eventually left home in pursuit of his music career, a decision that left him without the financial comfort associated with his family background.

“My song Back When was inspired by a true experience. There was a time I was broke. I had rich friends with rich parents who lived in mansions in Ikoyi with police escorts. But I had no money,” he said.

The singer’s revelation offers a glimpse into the early struggles behind his rise to prominence, despite his privileged family background.

Davido has since established himself as one of Africa’s most successful Afrobeats artistes, with a career spanning more than a decade and multiple international awards and collaborations.

Watch the video below:

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐀 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞, 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

Credit: Youtube | theuncutpodcast
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Hannah Johnson is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over three years of professional experience in reporting, storytelling, and digital content creation. She blends traditional reporting skills with a modern, digital-first approach to journalism, producing content tailored for both web and social platforms. Hannah is skilled at turning complex topics into clear, engaging, and relatable stories that resonate with a wide audience. Her work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a strong commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism.

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