Singer Rema reveals why he started smoking cigarettes

Afrobeats sensation Rema has opened up about his new habit of smoking cigarettes and revealed that he smokes them so that he can feel free.

During an interview with GRMDaily, the Ozeba singer detailed how he had to abandon his childhood following the deaths of his father and brother. He stressed that he had to grow up quickly and fend for his family, and now he wants to be a child again.

"I just want to be a child again and it's coming out. This is not me forcing it out; it just sparked in my spirit," he said.

Rema emphasised that, due to his fame, he is criticised for making the same mistakes that his agemates would have made. He stressed that, at the age of 24, he has found himself yearning for the freedom he has been lacking.

He explained, "I just want to be a rebel again. You know kids make mistakes and it's acceptable but when you're 19 or 20 and famous and you make that mistake, the same mistake that a 19-year old would make, everybody will come for you. All because you're in the limelight and they're like, 'Oh, you're not supposed to make that kind of mistake', why? I'm a kid!"

"I know people who smoked their first cigarettes when they were 13 and I'm 24. I smoke a cigarette because I just want to feel free, and I just want to be a rebel and I want to break some rules. All my life just feels so planned right now; there's just so much scheduled and I got tired. I just put that freedom in my music," Rema concluded.

See the full interview below: