“I Thought We Had Beef” — Omah Lay Reveals Misunderstanding That Led to Grammy-Nominated Song With Davido

Afrobeats singer Omah Lay has revealed that he once believed superstar Davido did not like him—an assumption that later turned out to be false and unexpectedly led to their Grammy-nominated collaboration, With You.

The singer made the disclosure during a GRAMMY red carpet interview with OkayAfrica, shared by HYPETRIBE on Monday, where he reflected on how the early misunderstanding shaped his perception of the award-winning artist.

Omah Lay recounted how he stumbled upon a clip showing Davido’s reaction to his music while he was at home, an encounter that completely changed his view.

“I was in the house, really, and I was going through it when I saw it, and I lost my mind. It was the fact that I didn’t know Davido was like that. I thought we had a beef. I thought he didn’t like me,” he said.

He explained that once they connected, the misunderstanding quickly disappeared, and their collaboration came together naturally. “It was funny, and we connected so well after that. Boom—magic happened,” he added.

Their song With You, released in 2025, marked a major milestone for Omah Lay, earning him his first-ever Grammy nomination. When asked about his expectations at the awards, the singer expressed confidence while acknowledging Nigeria’s strong representation in the category.

“Me and Davido, of course,” he said. “But Burna is there, Ayra is there, Wizkid is there. Any of us—we are repping Nigeria.”

Despite the strong Nigerian presence, the award ultimately went to South Africa’s Tyla, who won Best African Music Performance for Push 2 Start, beating With You, Burna Boy’s Love, and Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s Gimme Dat.

Although they missed out on the win, the nomination further cements Omah Lay’s rising influence in Afrobeats and underscores Nigeria’s continued dominance on the global music stage.