Nigerian Afrobeats singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has recalled a terrifying experience during the early days of his career, saying the incident almost made him question whether fame was worth the exposure that came with it.

The singer said the incident happened barely two months after his breakthrough songs became popular and began dominating the airwaves.

Naija News reports that Davido shared the experience in an interview titled “Davido Joins The Vibe Q,” published on the official VIBE Magazine YouTube channel on Thursday.

According to the singer, he had released only a few songs at the time, but their success had already earned him widespread recognition and a booking to perform in Ghana.

“I have like one song, I have like two records, but these are like the biggest records ever,” Davido said.

Davido said he was shocked by the reception he received when he arrived in Ghana, noting that he had gone from being an ordinary person to receiving the kind of attention usually reserved for global superstars.

“Yo, it’s like Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber type. So I’m like, yo, we lit,” he recalled.

The singer said his rapid rise to fame was exciting, with new achievements coming almost every week.

“Every week is just something new. I’m excited. I’m like, yo, I’m blowing up every week. We’re going higher in the charts,” he said.

He also spoke about the sudden attention he began receiving from women after becoming famous.

“I’m excited. I’m like, yo, these girls actually love me,” he said.

Davido said the situation took a dramatic turn after he visited a nightclub during the trip and had an encounter with a woman.

He described the experience as his first encounter with a groupie and said the night initially ended on a positive note.

“It was my first groupie, take back to the… that was like my first rodeo in that. And then I remember it was just a great night,” he said.

However, the following morning, the singer said his manager woke him up by repeatedly knocking on his hotel room door.

“He was like, open the door. He was like, calm down,” Davido recalled.

The singer said his manager then informed him that the woman he had spent the night with had taken a photograph of him while he was asleep and shared it with others.

According to Davido, the woman had reportedly told her friends that she was with him, but they doubted her claim.

“Apparently she was telling people like, ‘oh, I’m with Davido.’ They’re like, ‘no, you’re lying.’ And then she took the picture,” he said.

The leaked photograph quickly spread, leaving Davido facing an unexpected crisis at a very early stage of his career.

Davido said the incident quickly became known to members of his family, who began calling him after seeing the photograph.

“My daddy was calling me. My sisters were calling me,” he said.

The singer admitted that the experience was so overwhelming that he nearly reached breaking point.

“If I saw balcony that day, I would have jumped. I was going crazy,” Davido said.

He explained that the incident exposed him to one of the dangers of becoming famous at a young age, particularly when people around celebrities can easily use their access to them for attention.

Reflecting on the incident, Davido said his age and lifestyle at the time contributed to the experience.

Asked whether such an ordeal was part of the price of fame, the singer said he was young and enjoyed the attention he was receiving from women.

“I was young and I liked women too much. God had to show me, trust me, God had to show me at the time,” he said.

Davido said the experience became an important lesson that helped him understand the risks associated with celebrity life.

He warned young public figures that fame comes with increased exposure and that they can easily become targets, even when they are simply trying to enjoy themselves.

“You’re young, you’re famous, you’re a target. Even if you want to have fun, take their phones,” he advised.