Nigerian hip-hop artiste, David Adeleke popularly known as Davido, has finally met and hosted Bright Chimezie, the legendary highlife singer, in Lagos.
The meeting comes months after Davido sampled Chimezie’s 2010 hit song ‘Because of English’ in ‘With You’, his collaborative track with Omah Lay.
On Friday, Bright Chimezie showed his appreciation while dancing to the tune, saying, “I thank Davido for the sample credit of my song.”
Davido, in turn, praised the veteran musician for his influence on the industry, saying he had long admired Chimezie and hoped to meet him.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the ‘With You’ crooner shared a video of Chimezie arriving in a luxury car.
The clip captured the veteran singer being warmly welcomed into what appeared to be a restaurant.
There, both stars chatted, laughed, and sang along to some of Chimezie’s timeless songs.
Davido’s verse in With You — “If I speak English, oh-oh, Cho-cho-cho, no working, I no wan punish, woah, woah. I want to punish you, idiarabanko” — bears striking resemblance to Chimezie’s original lyrics, delivering a modern spin that many fans saw as a respectful nod to the highlife pioneer’s style.
Reactions across social media have been largely positive, with fans applauding the moment as a meaningful show of intergenerational respect in Nigerian music.
Such reconnections between contemporary artists and musical legends are becoming more common.
In July 2024, comedian Brain Jotter visited highlife icon Mike ‘Gentleman’ Ejeagha after featuring his classic Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche in a viral dance skit, bringing renewed interest to the older musician’s work.
