Afrobeats star Davido has opened up about the important role his childhood friend, Lati, played in his journey to becoming one of Africa’s most recognised music stars.
The singer shared the story during a livestream with content creator Carter Efe, where he reflected on his friendship with Lati and explained why he considers him an important part of his success.
Speaking about their bond, Davido stated, “Without Lati, there’s no Davido.”
According to the singer, Lati initially worked for his late mother and remained close to the family after her death. However, Davido said his stepmother later asked Lati to leave the family home.
Davido explained that Lati was the youngest member of staff and had developed a strong relationship with him while working for his mother.
“Lati used to work for my mum. My mum passed, you know, Lati used to work for my mum. So when my mum passed, you know, Lati stayed around. And then when my mum passed, my step mum came, chased Lati away from the house,” he recalled.
Davido revealed that Lati had an interest in music production and DJing and would secretly take him along to recording studios, giving him an early exposure to the music world.
“Lati would sneak me in his car, go to the studio… He used to do music and DJ. So then he would carry me to the studio,” the singer said.
Davido further recounted how they eventually lost touch after he moved to the United States as a teenager to continue his education.
When they later reunited during one of his trips to Nigeria, Davido told Lati about his decision to pursue music professionally. He also promised that if he succeeded, the two of them would travel the world together.
After breaking into the music industry and achieving international fame, Davido said he kept his word by bringing Lati into his team.
While Lati has since moved into the oil and gas industry, Davido’s heartfelt account of their friendship has earned praise from fans, many of whom applauded the singer for recognising the contribution of someone who supported him during his early years.
