Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has shown appreciation to legendary highlife maestro Bright Chimezie, crediting his timeless track ‘Because of English’ as the inspiration behind his new song “With You” featuring Omah Lay.
In a video call that quickly circulated on social media, Davido was seen in a video call with Chimezie. With visible admiration, he told the veteran that his decades-old classic planted the creative seed for “With You,” a standout track from his fifth studio album.
“The latest hit I just did with Omah Lay, I used inspiration from your song, ‘Because of English,’” Davido told the highlife icon during the call. Chimezie responded with interest, to which Davido added, “I will tell them to play it for you. It’s trending everywhere, the whole world.”
Reacting in a video posted on his Instagram page on Thursday, the music legend Bright Chimezie praised Davido and Omah Lay for their hit single ‘With You’, which samples his iconic track ‘Because of English’.
The PUNCH reports that in the video, Chimezie was seen dancing joyfully to the song while applauding the artists for creatively drawing inspiration from his classic.
“You can see I am vibing to the song already. It’s a beautiful piece of work, very wonderful. I appreciate the fact that you said you picked the inspiration from this song I recorded many years ago; I appreciate you for that,” he said
Davido, in turn, replied with deep respect, switching to the Igbo language to honour the icon:
According to The PUNCH, he wrote, “Ihe di ka gi akokwala m. Chief Sir Bright Chimezie, Ezigbote Onye Egwu,” meaning, “People like you inspire me. Chief Sir Bright Chimezie, a true music legend.”
“With You”, produced by the talented beatmaker Tempoe, fuses the lush groove of highlife with modern Afrobeats and a sprinkle of funk, a sound that echoes Nigeria’s 70s and 80s musical golden age, where artists like Chimezie laid the foundation.