Afrobeats singer Kcee has opened up about the emotional struggles he faced early in his career, revealing that repeated snubs by award organisers once left him in tears.
Speaking on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, the singer reflected on what he described as years of being overlooked despite his contributions to the Nigerian music industry.
“I grew up in an industry that wasn’t fair to me. There wasn’t any attention given to me at any moment. I was doing a lot that the industry wasn’t recognising,” he said.
Kcee noted that while his fan base remained loyal and supportive, industry recognition was lacking.
“The fans were the ones who were behind me. I did a lot of work; they were not nominating me for awards. And I cried; I was pained,” he added.
According to the singer, the experience eventually changed his mindset about validation and awards, pushing him to focus more on impact and audience reception rather than accolades.
“Right now, when I win awards, or you don’t nominate me, I don’t care. I prefer the rewards to the awards,” he said.
Kcee added that he eventually found peace in his music journey and began prioritising his craft and fans over industry approval, especially after achieving major success with hit songs.
He recalled how his breakout moments restored his confidence, particularly with tracks like Limpopo and Ojapiano.
“When ‘Limpopo’ came, I was in tears. I was like, no, God has answered my prayer. He took me to the global market straight,” he said, describing it as the biggest record of his career at the time.
On “Ojapiano,” he highlighted its viral success, especially on TikTok, where it reportedly gained massive organic traction within days.
“I dropped ‘Ojapiano’ like today, the next day, it was doing 120,000 videos on TikTok in one day. And it happened for seven days non-stop. That’s organic. The white people were vibing to it,” he added.
Kcee’s story reflects a broader conversation in the music industry about recognition, resilience, and redefining success beyond awards.
