In a recent interview on Kiss Xtra FM, Nigerian megastar Davido spoke about his relationship with his friend and rapper Zlatan Ibile.

Tracing the history of their friendship, the Grammy-nominated megastar said that their friendship started after he made a video along to one of Zlatan's earliest hit songs.

"Years ago, a very, very long time ago, I was in Angola for a show, and this was the time Street Hop was getting big in Nigeria. The Marlians, Rahman Jago, and Zlatan. And I just love their style because it was fresh and natural. They were having fun, and it was becoming big. So Zlatan had this one song and me and my DJ did a dance to it. I posted it on Instagram, and it went crazy. I think it was my first one million views on Instagram," Davido shared on his first interaction with Zlatan.

Davido added that when he returned to Nigeria, he had Zlatan linked up and started making music, and their friendship grew from there.

"When I got back to Nigeria, we just started making music. We just became friends. One day, I just woke up, and I was like, 'damn, we are close.' That's my real brother. Outside music, we can spend hours on the phone speaking."

Back in December 2017, Davido and his DJ E Cool, recorded a video dancing to Zlatan's career-defining hit song 'My Body,' featuring Olamide. The viral song would rocket Zlatan to mainstream stardom and spark what would become one of Afrobeats' high-profile friendships.

Over the years, Davido and Zlatan have collaborated on several records, including the hit song 'Sweet in the Middle' in 2019 and 'Money' in 2021. More recently, Davido appeared on the song 'Hip-Hop Messiah' on Zlatan's 2025 album 'Symbol of Hope.'

Also in 2025, both stars delivered guest verses on South African group TxC's smash hit single 'Nakupenda'. Speaking on how the song came about, Davido revealed that he recorded his verse at Zlatan's studio, and the rapper playfully dropped a freestyle so good it had to become part of the song.

In the interview, Davido described his upcoming album as a return to his roots. According to him, the album was intended to be a surprise project, but his team decided that they should plan properly and give fans a nice experience. The album, titled 'ORIADE', features 13 tracks and is scheduled for a July 31 release.