Kcee also noted that the massive success of his hit song ‘Limpopo’ gave him the needed breakthrough moment and pushed him onto the international stage.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Afrobeats singer and songwriter Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo, better known as Kcee, has opened up about how deeply hurt he was by years of being overlooked by award organisers in the music industry, despite his consistency.
He made his feelings on the matter known recently during a candid interview with Afrobeats Intelligence.
According to Kcee, the lack of recognition from award bodies affected him emotionally, even bringing him to tears at one point in his career.
He noted that while his work resonated strongly with fans, it often failed to receive the same acknowledgment from industry gatekeepers.
Speaking during the chat, the 46-year-old artist said: “I grew up in an industry that wasn’t fair to me. There wasn’t any attention given to me at any moment. I was doing a lot that the industry wasn’t recognising.”
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He, however, added that he has since developed a thick skin to being overlooked, saying he focuses less on awards and more on the impact of his music on people now.
He further stated that he now prioritises “rewards”, such as fan support and global reach, over formal recognition.
“The fans were the ones who were behind me. I did a lot of work; they were not nominating me for awards. And I cried; I was pained. Right now, if I win awards, or you don’t nominate me, I don’t care. I prefer the rewards to the awards,” he added.
Kcee also traced the turning point in his career to the massive success of his hit song ‘Limpopo’, which he noted was the breakthrough moment that pushed him onto the international stage.
