Afrobeat star Davido has shared the backstory behind his collaboration with fellow artist Omah Lay on the Grammy-nominated track “With You,” revealing it stemmed from a misunderstanding where Omah Lay believed Davido disliked him.
In a recent video interview circulating online, Davido recounted how the partnership began during a visit by American streamer Kai Cenat to Nigeria last year.
“How Omah Lay and I got together was, Kai Cenat came to Nigeria and I was driving him to the club. Then Omah Lay’s song came up, and he was like, ‘Who is this?’ I responded, Oh! This is Omah Lay, he is hot,” Davido said.
Following the livestream where Davido played Omah Lay’s music, the younger artist tweeted his surprise, admitting he had assumed Davido “hated” him, as they had never met.
Davido promptly messaged Omah Lay directly to clarify, leading to an exchange of numbers, shared music ideas, and the recording of several tracks together.
Omah Lay ultimately selected “With You” for release, which features on Davido’s fifth studio album, “5ive.”
The song has garnered acclaim as one of the album’s most emotional pieces and earned a nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Fans have lauded Davido for mentoring emerging talents and Omah Lay for his candidness about the initial misconception, turning what started as a tweet into a celebrated musical success.
