Nigerian rapper CDQ has shared that he once rejected a record deal from Afrobeats superstar Davido, despite the singer’s intention to make him the biggest rapper in Africa.
In a recent interview with Echo Room, CDQ recalled that the offer came shortly after his breakout hit ‘Indomie’, when Davido expressed interest in signing him to his record label.
“Davido reached out to me through Twitter back then that he wanted to sign me. He told me he just made a lot of money from his African tour and wanted to invest it in music and make me the biggest rapper in Africa,” CDQ recounted.
However, CDQ insisted that his longtime producer, Masterkraft, be part of the deal. Together, they attended a meeting with Davido, where Masterkraft proposed a partnership rather than a traditional label deal.
“I told him whatever I’m doing, Masterkraft has to be involved. So, me and Masterkraft went to a meeting with him, and he told him that CDQ is already a movement on the streets and should consider a partnership instead of a recording deal,” He explained.
According to the rapper, Davido declined the partnership arrangement, and the deal ultimately fell through.
The revelation has added to conversations about artist-label dynamics in Nigeria, particularly around creative control and ownership in the music industry.
