Rema reflects on how his dad’s death made him skip stages of maturity process
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Rema (real name Divine Ikubor) has reflected on the profound impact the death of his father had on him at a young age, compelling him to grapple with emotional and financial consequences that drained him and now make him desire returning to his childhood and grow up the normal way.
The Afrobeats singer disclosed in a recent interview with GRM that losing his father when he was a child forced him to “sell” his childhood to support his mum and siblings.
Rema, now 24, expressed a longing to “feel young again,” underscoring how the pressures of early adulthood have influenced his life and career.
“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 bits 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 age mates.
“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.”
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