Davido: Singer's ex-manager speaks on controversial sack- Kamal

 
Kamal urged his colleagues to build themselves and well as their brands regardless of how big their artistes could become because they might walk away.

Finally, we get to know the back story behind the split between Davido and his former manager, Kamal Ajiboye, aka Kamal.

The "If" singer announced the development in January this year, leaving the Internet in shock.

Many were surprised by the way things played out seeing as Kamal is highly respected in the entertainment industry.

Davido
(Instagram/DavidoOfficial)

During an exclusive chat with Punch's Sunday Scoop, Kamal insisted that he had not been fired via social media.

He said, “Davido didn’t give me the sack via social media. He was in Gabon when he wrote ‘I am now my own manager’ on Snapchat.

"Funnily, I was the one who drove him to the airport.  Before then, we had had conversations about moving forward and I realised that what he wanted was different from mine. I wanted something bigger for him, but he was comfortable with what he wanted to do.”

Although he admitted that Davido is a big client, he maintained that parting ways with him had not affected his career as an artiste manager.

“I was prepared for it; I was the one who left voluntarily. It was something I thought about for a while. I wanted something I could control. This doesn’t mean I couldn’t control him, but Davido is a lot of pieces. When an artiste is big like he is, trust me it is not easy to control him. I didn’t lose control over him, but it got to a point where we had different goals.

Sesan Ogunro, Rapper Meek Mill, and Davido's manager Kamal Ajiboye.
(Instagram)

“We are still cool; I see him as my friend and family. I still have a good relationship with the family members too; so there is no bad blood,” he said.

Kamal who is currently managing Seyi Shey also revealed that he didn't fear losing relevance in the industry.

“I have a good relationship with everyone. People who are familiar with me know that I am a man of my word. Whenever I set out to do something, I don’t look back. I think people appreciate this about me. I never got carried away because I was managing Davido. Then, I ensured that I always reached out to people and hung out with my friends.  So, after the split, I had a lot of support from my friends within and outside the industry.

“The split had nothing to do with the fact that I didn’t support his decision to snub the international deal he got with Sony Music. You know when artistes want to sell their market, they say different things.”

Davido's manager, Kamal Ajiboye enjoys a picture session with Meek Mill
(Instagram)

Kamal urged his colleagues to build themselves and well as their brands regardless of how big their artistes could become because they might walk away.

“Once a big artiste leaves a manager, it becomes hard for him or her to survive. But that shouldn’t be the case and I believe we must have learn't our lessons. When you are managing an artiste, you need to start building a brand for yourself because nothing lasts forever,” Kamal stated.