Afrobeats superstar Davido has revealed how iconic Nigerian music duo P-Square played a major role in inspiring his journey into music and shaping his belief that African artistes could achieve global success.
Speaking during a recent interview with the BBC, Davido recalled how proudly he spoke about Peter and Paul Okoye while he was still in school, describing their international achievements as proof that African artistes could compete on the world stage.
“P-Square inspired me. I used to tell my friends in school about how they were two African artistes who had a song with Snoop Dogg and were friends with Kanye West,” he said.
For Davido, P-Square’s international collaborations and relationships with global music stars represented something bigger than entertainment. Their success showed young African artistes that it was possible to break beyond the continent and earn recognition on the global stage.
The ‘Unavailable’ crooner noted that witnessing P-Square break international barriers motivated many young Nigerian artistes, including himself, to dream bigger and pursue music with greater confidence.
P-Square, made up of twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye, are widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential music groups. Their music, performances and international visibility helped strengthen the foundation for the global rise of Afrobeats.
Their influence has extended across generations, inspiring major African stars, including Davido, Wizkid and Rema, who have continued to push Afrobeats to audiences around the world.
For Davido, P-Square’s legacy is therefore not only about the songs they created, but also about the confidence they gave a generation — the belief that African artistes could stand proudly on the world stage.
Their journey helped change the question from whether African music could go global to how far African music could go.
