Ice Prince Reflects on Childhood Struggles and Dropped University Dream

Nigerian music star Panshak Zamani, better known as Ice Prince, has opened up about the challenges he faced growing up as an orphan.

In a candid conversation on the Listen podcast, the “Aboki” hitmaker revealed that life became particularly tough after losing both parents. His father passed away when he was just 11, and he lost his mother at 21, leaving him to fend for himself and support his extended family as an only son.

“I don’t have a mother or father. I’m an only son. That’s quite tough,” Ice Prince said. “I was eleven years old when I lost my dad. I was about 21 or 22 when my mum passed away. And I have a huge family that depends on me.”

The singer recounted his struggles, working multiple menial jobs to pay school fees, often staying home for weeks each term due to financial constraints. He shared how his dreams of attending university were dashed because he couldn’t raise N20,000 within the deadline.

“I didn’t go to the University because of N20,000. I had about two weeks to pay that money but I couldn’t raise it on time. That was how I lost the admission,” he revealed.

Despite these setbacks, Ice Prince emphasized his faith and resilience, attributing his success to God and sheer determination. “I don’t have no uncle, aunty, godfather, or godmother that I depend on. It has been nothing but God in my life,” he said.

His story of perseverance serves as inspiration, with the artist concluding, “I want people to look at my life and say if I can succeed, then no one has an excuse to fail.”