Rema Reveals How Losing His Father Shaped His Music and Youth

Nigerian Afrobeat sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has shared an emotional reflection on how the death of his father at a young age drastically altered his childhood. The 24-year-old artist opened up in a recent interview with GRM, revealing the profound impact this loss had on his early life and the subsequent pressures he faced as he stepped into adulthood.

Rema, who has risen to global stardom with his unique sound and energetic performances, spoke candidly about how losing his father forced him to “sell” his childhood to support his family. He described a deep longing to “feel young again,” as the responsibilities thrust upon him at a young age accelerated his transition into adulthood, leaving him yearning for the freedom of his youth.

“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," Rema shared, emphasizing how these early burdens shaped his life and career.

Reflecting on his journey, Rema recounted how he initially hoped that his various hustles, including making beats in Ghana, would be temporary. However, when his music career took off, he found himself in a whirlwind of fast fame and maturity. “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.”

The young artist expressed a sense of isolation that came with his rapid rise to fame, noting that he rarely interacted with peers his age. “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,” he said, highlighting the disconnect between his life experiences and those of his contemporaries.

In a poignant admission, Rema revealed his desire to reclaim a sense of youthfulness and freedom, which he now channels into his music. “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.”

Rema also touched on the double standards he faces as a public figure, especially when it comes to making mistakes. “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.”

Reflecting on his journey, he shared a moment of rebellion, saying, “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.”

Rema’s reflections offer a rare glimpse into the emotional and psychological toll that early fame and personal loss can have on a young artist. As he continues to evolve both personally and artistically, his music remains a powerful outlet for expressing the complexities of his journey.