Omo Baba Olowo: The genesis of Davido’s greatness

In 2011, Davido burst onto the music scene with his debut single ‘Back When’ featuring in-form rapper Naeto C. A bubbling Davido struggled to mask his excitement as he reveled in the joy of having one of Nigeria’s finest rappers on his single.

The career of this relatively unknown young man would blow up seismically after he released his follow-up single ‘Dami Duro’ later that year.

What followed was a nationwide success that made Davido into an instant superstar. The success of his debut year invariably culminated in an easy win of the Next Rated category at the 2012 Headies Awards.

Davido will go on to document the sensational success of his break-out year in his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis’ which he released on July 17th, 2012.

“Omo Baba Olowo” the instantly rememberable line from ‘Dami Duro’ translates into “Son of the rich man” in English. This is a tag that was ascribed to Davido whose father was one of the country’s richest men. Although he was disparaged by this tag which carried a judgmental undertone of his privileged background, Davido will embrace it and used it to fuel his ascension into superstardom and subsequent legendary status.

‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis’ is a 19-track album that gave an elaborate insight into the unique nature of Davido’s talent.

The album was the first glimpse into the simplistic nature of Davido’s art. From his melody to his writing down to his delivery is easily digestible and curated to offer a simple yet satisfying listening experience. And while he will improve his artistry as he evolved into one of the biggest music stars in Africa, this artistic simplicity would stay with him.

Davido entered the industry with the desire to become successful and he defiled the obstacles that were peculiar to a rich kid who many dismiss for having everything on a platter. He kept his head down and fought hard for his success and when he got it, he celebrates it boldly, flamboyantly, and assertively in ‘All Of You’.

Davido announced himself on the big stage with the generational hit song ‘Dami Duro’ and on his debut album he shows off his hitmaker credentials on tracks like ‘Gbon Gbon’, ‘Ekuro’, and ‘Bless Me’ featuring Mr. May D.

With his cousins Shina Rambo and B-Red appearing in four tracks on the album, this offers an early insight into Davido’s desire to carry his family and friends on his wings as he soared. Ten years after, Davido has continued to ensure that his team shares in his wins and successes.

Today, ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis’, the album that ushered in Davido’s illustrious career is ten. While the album wasn’t a groundbreaking body of work and it hasn’t gone on to become a classic, it has achieved what it set out to achieve – make Davido into a superstar. And that’s the hallmark of a successful album.

Congratulations to Davido on this impressive milestone. There’s no doubt that when fans look back, they will agree that ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis’ is indeed the genesis of Davido’s greatness.