Rema Reveals Why He Started Smoking
Afrobeats star Rema opens up about how losing his father forced him into adulthood early, leading him to seek a return to his lost youth through his new project "HeIs" and experimenting with rebellion.
In an emotional and revealing conversation, Afrobeats sensation Divine Ikubor, widely known by his stage name Rema, shed light on how the loss of his father profoundly influenced his early life. The artist, celebrated for his global hit "Calm Down," shared that the untimely death of his father thrust upon him the weighty responsibility of supporting his family at a very young age. This experience, he said, forced him to "sell" his childhood, compelling him to grow up far too quickly.
Speaking candidly with GRM, the 24-year-old musician expressed a yearning to reclaim the youthful freedom he feels was lost amid the pressures of early fame and responsibility. "I really wanted to feel like a child again," Rema explained. "Life switched up on me crazy when I lost my dad and my brother. The weight was just on my shoulders and forced me to sell my childhood to provide for my family."
Rema recounted the whirlwind of fame that followed his early success, describing it as a period of "fast fame" that necessitated "fast maturity." This rapid transformation, he said, led him into a world dominated by adults, meetings, and serious commitments, leaving little room for the carefree experiences typical of his age group. "So much adults. So many meetings. I didn’t even roll with my age mates," he lamented.
In a bid to reconnect with the sense of youth and rebellion he feels he missed out on, Rema recently took up smoking cigarettes. This decision, however, was met with criticism from the public due to his celebrity status, highlighting the double standards celebrities often face. "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," he explained. "All my life just feels so planned and scheduled. I just got tired."
Rema's latest project, "HeIs," marks a pivotal moment in his career and personal journey. Through this project, he aims to embrace his inner child and rebel against the constraints of adult life and celebrity expectations. "This project [‘HeIs’], I just want to be a child. And it’s coming out. It’s not me forcing it out. It just sparked in my spirit. I just want to feel young again. I just want to be a rebel," Rema shared.
Despite the challenges and criticisms, Rema remains committed to his artistic vision and personal growth, determined to carve out a space where he can truly be himself.
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