Award-winning singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has revealed how he first encountered music and when he decided to pursue it as a full-time career.

Speaking during a livestream with content creator Carte Efe, the singer said he grew up listening to hip-hop stars such as 50 Cent and Ja Rule but only became serious about music after visiting a recording studio with his cousin at the age of 13.

“Growing up, my mum used to throw a lot of parties at home, and we would dance a lot. Hip-hop was what I liked—50 Cent, Ja Rule, Nelly. Those were the people I grew up watching,” Davido said.

“But when I was about 12 or 13, I followed one of my cousins to the studio. That was the first time I saw someone making beats and recording music, and I fell in love with the process.”

He explained that the experience was a turning point in his life.

“When I saw that, I told myself, ‘This is what I want to do.’ Nothing else mattered again—school, church, nothing,” he added.

Davido is one of Africa’s biggest music exports and began his career with the hit single Dami Duro, featuring Naeto C.