Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has claimed he is the most criticized celebrity in Nigeria, attributing much of the backlash to his wealthy family background.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Culture Knock Out podcast, the award-winning singer revealed that his career might have faced more obstacles if his affluent background had been public knowledge from the beginning.

"I'm the biggest criticised artist in Nigeria. I mean, I'm on fire and I've been on fire for a while," Davido stated. "In the beginning, they didn't know that my dad was rich. So the stigma of a rich kid doing music didn't end up as crazy as it should have been for me."

The OBO crooner explained that his family's wealth only became public knowledge after he had already established himself in the music industry. "People didn't know my father was rich. It was too late, I already did three hit songs before they found out that my dad had money," he said.

Davido emphasized that his passion for music transcended his privileged background, stating: "But I just wanted to do music. I didn't care if I had to become homeless. At that point, that was all I wanted to do. Nothing would stop me."

The singer, son of Nigerian business magnate Adedeji Adeleke, further reflected on how his success has attracted criticism. "Over time, people started hating me because my dad is rich. But I keep on dropping good music, and it keeps working out," he noted.

Davido also philosophized about the nature of fame and public perception, comparing it to political leadership. "It happens to everyone, once you become the biggest in anything, you will get criticised. You are doing an election, people love you and they vote for you. But when you become president, they hate you," he concluded.

The interview offers rare insight into how one of Africa's biggest music stars navigates public scrutiny while maintaining his position at the forefront of the continent's music scene.