"I blew up way too early—I was 19 when I got my record deal, and 20 when I had songs like Shoki- Lil Kesh

 

"I blew up way too early—I was 19 when I got my record deal, and 20 when I had songs like Shoki. It was the responsibilities and the fame; a lot of people want it, but there's a price attached. It was just too much, and I was a stubborn kid. Those pressures were no joke; I was going crazy. It got to a point where I couldn’t deal with fame, short and simple. I felt like I could handle it, but I crashed. It was too much to handle. I’ve been through one of the worst cases of mental health. It crept up on me from late 2017 to 2019. When you're in a dark place, it's important to talk to somebody—it took sharing, a lot of prayer, changing my diet, working out, and getting out more. I even bought a dog. Now, I'm in a better place, and I'm back at it, recording rap songs and working on my album.

I'm grateful to have inspired newer artists like Zlatan, Naira Marley, and Asake, and laid a blueprint for them. The game has grown, and I focus on future creations rather than old songs." — Lil Kesh