E Choke: A Classic Example of How Davido Stays Relevant to Nigerian Pop Culture

Not many artists can boast of consistently influencing popular culture but Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke can.

Since releasing his breakout song, Back When over nine years ago, he has become a force to be reckoned with by continuously setting lasting trends and leaving an impact beyond the music with catchy sayings like “E Choke”.

Here’s a look at how the Nigerian pop star stays busy influencing the everyday language and life of the masses when he isn’t dropping hits.

How It started

One of Davido’s first uses of the catchphrase “E Choke” can be traced to early March 2021 when he posted a reaction video to his Instagram page. Reacting to his performance in the recently released Coming 2 America, the artist is seen grabbing his neck as he says, ‘E Choke,’ which literally means “it chokes”.

http://https://www.instagram.com/p/CMC6qwRhTAh/

On March 13th, he shared a video captioned, “E Choke” featuring famous rapper Drake who echoes the slang. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMXs7uXBK3K/

The catchphrase quickly caught on with everyone from Nigerians to foreign celebrities saying it in videos and posts.

How it’s Going

Within a few weeks, the phrase became so popular that it made its way to the Urban Dictionary where the slang is described as an apt way of expressing “intense shock, surprise or wonder.”

By the end of the month, Davido revealed plans to trademark it tweeting, “Gotta get ‘e choke’ copyrighted it’s getting outta hand.”

Gotta get ‘e choke’ copyrighted it’s getting outta hand

— Davido (@davido) March 24, 2021

In April, the slang got adopted by the fashion industry when a designer made a two-piece outfit with a hand around the neck depicting the ‘E Choke’ slogan. The picture went viral.

Two months later, the slang has only gotten more popular with no signs of stopping anytime soon. The latest recognition from Twitter where it’s become a commonly used hashtag and has just been endorsed with a Twitter emoji depicting Davido with his hands around his neck.

The excited singer, who is now one of the few African artists to be immortalized in emoji form, shared the news on May 5, 2021 tweeting, “Even @jack know say #echoke.”

Even @jack know say #echoke

— Davido (@davido) May 5, 2021

The future for Davido and Pop culture

‘E Choke’ may be the latest example of the artist’s huge influence on Nigerian pop culture but it is not the first. 

Prior to the current catchphrase, he popularised “Tule” a Yoruba word that means “free me, release me, or leave me.”

https://twitter.com/davido/status/1343533413022773249?lang=en

‘Who dey Breeett?’ meaning ‘who is breathing?’ in Pidgin English, ‘Shekpe’ and ‘Chee’  are other sayings attributed to Davido.

Beyond the sayings, the pop star’s influence can also be felt in politics. During the heat of the EndSars protest in 2020, his single Fem, meaning “shut up” became the soundtrack for the revolution.

As protesters took to the streets to fight against police brutality across the country, the song could be heard playing with people chanting the lyrics in defiance at government officials and the Police.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGXY6j7BPhg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again

Unlike the slangs started by the artist, the song was chosen as the perfect anthem of one of the biggest protests in recent history. He continues to use his power for good by supporting the next set of stars like Mayorkun and Liya. By constantly giving back with his slang, Davido, continues to leave a lasting impression on Nigerian pop culture.

Photo Credit: Tomi Idowu