Nigerian singer and songwriter, Rema, recently revealed in an interview that he made his first N1 million at the age of 17 and handed over everything to his mother.
Rema, whose real name is Divine Ikubor, rose to fame in 2019 with his hit song “Iron Man” and has since gained a huge following in Nigeria and beyond. In the interview with Z100 New York, he spoke about his humble beginnings and how he had to work hard to support his family.
According to him, he wanted to get a car with the money, but his mother needed the money more, and it was not cool for him to be 17 and drive around in a car when his mother did not have a car of her own.
He said,
“The person who I knew needed it more was my mom. So, I handed everything I made to her. I know it was cool to drive around the city as a 17-year-old in a cool whip. But I can’t drive a cool whip when my mom doesn’t have a car or when my mom has to borrow my keys. You know, I had to put her on first.”
“Passing all of that to her, whatever investment she makes… I made my first million [Naira] at 17, but I made more than a million. But it’s cool to be at that stage and be able to provide for your family.”
He also added that being able to support his family and create possibilities for others is his greatest accomplishment.
“Someone created an opportunity for me to bless the world this much. So I can’t imagine how much the people I helped are going to bless the world. You know, I go hard not just for myself. I go hard for them. As long as doors open for me, I want to open doors for them,” he added.
Despite his success, Rema remains grounded and focused on his music. He has released several hit songs over the past few years, including ‘Calm Down,’ ‘Holiday,’ and ‘Bounce,’ and has collaborated with top artists.
With his talent, hard work, and dedication, Rema is undoubtedly one of the best artists in Nigeria today.
