My dad’s death forced me to sell my childhood to provide for my family – Rema
Nigerian afrobeat singer, Divine Ikubor popularly known as Rema has opened up about how losing his father at an early age influenced his childhood.
Speaking in a recent interview with GRM, the 24-year-old claimed that the death of his father and brother forced him to “sell” his childhood at a very young age to support his family.
Rema explained that such tragedy caused so much pressure on him such that he could not have the free and enjoyable life every child experiences.
He expressed a longing to “feel young again,” highlighting how the pressures of early adulthood have influenced his life and career.
He said, “I really wanted to feel like a child again… I feel like I grew up too fast. Life switched up on me crazy when I lost my dad and my brother. The weight was just on my shoulder and forced me to sell my childhood to provide for my family.
“I also thought maybe after hustling and doing my little beats in Ghana, and all the little hustles I put my hands into, I thought it was going to end there, but music picked up. I then had to go on to that end and grind and grind. God willing, everything happened well and happened fast. With fast fame came fast maturity, and it’s like a never-ending level of seriousness. There were so many adults and so many meetings, that I didn’t even roll with my agemates.”
‘I’m not sure I even rolled with the 19- or 18-year-olds. When I was 17, I didn’t see a fellow 17-year-old, and when I was 20, everyone was five, six, or ten years older. Now with this project, I just want to be a child, and it’s just coming out. I just want to feel young again and be a rebel again. I just got tired, and I put that freedom in my music.”
“I just want to feel young again. I just want to be a rebel. You know, kids make mistakes, and it’s acceptable. But when you’re a teenager and you make the same mistake your peers would make, everyone will come for you just because you’re in the spotlight.
“I know people who smoked a cigarette when they were 13 and I’m 24 smoking a cigarette because I just want to feel free and break some rules. All my life just feels so planned and so much scheduled. I just got tired, and I put that freedom in my music.”
