I feel blessed being the biggest artiste to come out of Benin - Rema

Nigerian singer, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has disclosed that being a successful singer at his age comes with a lot of pressure.

Rema, who is rated as one Nigeria’s finest music exports to the world, has continued to raise his game and hold his place in the music industry.

One of his hit songs, Calm Down, thrilled football spectators at the just concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the singer’s profile rose even higher

Speaking with Notjustok platform and monitored by R, the singer talked about the pressure he faces being one of the most talked about artistes in Africa, Rema who made a transition from gospel to secular music, said switching from Afrobeats to hip hop was a tough decision.

Shedding more light on the feeling of being a music star, he said sometimes he feels the pressure because he understands every young person out there wants the opportunity he has, pointing out that “I feel honoured to be blessed with this opportunity.”

“I feel this pressure a lot of times. I am a young guy; just 22 and sometimes I feel like I have the whole calling my name. The more I realise how big this is, the more I realise I have to put in so much work,” he said.

The Mavin Records signee lamented how he doesn’t get to see his family for months, adding that “music is equally important to me because I am making a lot of impact in the lives of many young people and even the elderly.”

This moment, according to him, is more important to him because no one from “Benin City has had this big platform. I am the next big music artiste to come out of Benin City who is this big and I am glad to pose as an inspiration.

“I just want to stand as a music icon from Benin City, Nigeria and I am grateful for this platform and opportunity,” he added.

Rema, who once headed a gospel rap group in church, noted that the switch began when he started going to sing at bars and lounges to make ends meet.