Nigerian Afrobeats star, Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, has shared the deep impact his father’s death had on his early years.
In a recent interview with GRM, the 24-year-old artist revealed that losing his father at a young age compelled him to “sell” his childhood to provide for his family.
Rema also expressed a yearning to “feel young again,” emphasizing how the responsibilities of early adulthood have shaped both his life and his music 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.”