Nigerian music star Kcee has opened up on one of the most painful phases of his career, revealing how he once felt completely overlooked by the industry despite years of dedication and consistency.
Speaking during an interview on Afrobeats Intelligence, the singer got candid about the emotional toll it took on him when his efforts were not being recognised, even while fans continued to support him.
“To be honest, I grew up in an industry that was not fair to me… I was giving my best and the industry was not recognising,” he said.
Kcee explained that the situation went beyond missing out on awards, as it deeply affected him personally.
“The fans were the ones behind me. I did a lot of work, and they were not nominating me for awards. And I cried. I was pained. Right now, whether I win awards or not, I do not care. I prefer the rewards to the awards. It affected everything and not just music,” he added.
The singer, who began his journey alongside his former partner Presh, described his hit song Limpopo as the major turning point that changed his story.
According to him, the track’s success felt like a long-awaited breakthrough after years of struggle.
“When ‘Limpopo’ came, I was in tears that God had answered my prayers. It took me into the global market straight away. After all the years I have worked with Presh, that is the biggest record I have ever done,” he said.
Beyond fame, Kcee also revealed that the song brought him significant financial success, especially through ringback tunes, which were a major source of income at the time.
“‘Limpopo’ gave me a lot of money from ringback tunes. We were making hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he revealed.
Fast forward to recent times, the singer pointed to his viral track Ojapiano as proof that his impact in the industry remains strong, even if recognition does not always follow.
“When I dropped ‘Ojapiano’, the next day it was doing 120,000 videos on TikTok in one day… and that raised conversations like ‘Why is Kcee not number one?’”
Despite everything, Kcee says his mindset has now shifted. Rather than chasing awards, he is focused on global reach, financial success, and the real-life impact of his music.
