Renowned musician, Kwame Nsiah-Apau known popularly as Okyeame Kwame, also known as the Rap Doctor, revealed his battle with depression in 2016, driven by the apprehension of approaching the age of 40.
The artist expressed concerns about losing relevance in the music industry, fearing that his ideas would become outdated.
Okyeame Kwame shared, “I was 39 and turning 40 years. I had written an article on my fear of the big four zero, and almost everything that I feared…that I will lose my audience share, and then I’m going to be old, my ideas will be old.”
The artist reflected on the pressure of societal expectations, particularly in an industry driven by social validation metrics.
The ‘Yeeko’ hitmaker also disclosed that financial setbacks added to his struggles, losing $80,000 invested in his music business. “I had invested a lot of money in my career that didn’t work. I put up billboards, I did rebranding and it didn’t work. I lost about $80,000. So that one, plus the shows not coming, plus my fear of the 40 years…the cock came home to roost. All the little things…so I felt inadequate, I am nothing, I am a nobody,” he revealed.
It took Okyeame Kwame a whole year to recover from this challenging phase, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of his struggles during that time.
In the same interview, Okyeame Kwame expressed concern over the rapid decline of Ghana’s music industry, attributing it to the challenging economic conditions faced by artists.
In a candid conversation on Star Chat with Bola Ray, Okyeame Kwame pointed out the disparity between the success of older artists in developed countries, such as Grammy-winning new artists over the age of 39 and prominent hip-hop stars aged 43 and above.
“For us Africans, we have sort of relegated our economy and given it to the white man to do what they want with it. We can’t enjoy the sunset, we can’t taste food, that’s why our fashion is not going anywhere. Hiplife couldn’t survive because of the economy.”