By Jennifer Amarachi
Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has opened up how he started smoking cigarettes to break some rules and how his father’s passing impacted him as a child.
The “Calm Down” singer asserted that having to support his family at an early age due to his father’s passing compelled him to “sell” his youth.
Speaking with GRM, the 24-yr-old said he started smoking cigarettes in an attempt to feel “free and break some rules” again.
Rema added that even though he was an adult when he made the decision to start smoking, people still find fault with it since he is a celebrity.
He said, “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.
“God willing, everything happened well, it happened fast. And with fast fame, comes fast maturity. It’s just like never ending level of seriousness. So much adults. So much meetings. I didn’t even rolled with my age mates.
“So 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 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 feel so planned and scheduled. I just got tired”.
