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My mum has been using music to blackmail me since I was a child – Ayra Starr
Nigerian award-winning artist Ayra Starr has shared a touching anecdote about her mother’s influence on her education and music career. She recounted how her mother used music as a means to encourage her to prioritize her education.
From a young age, Ayra Starr harbored dreams of becoming a pop star. However, her mother made it clear that pursuing music would necessitate obtaining a bachelor’s degree first.
In an interview with Billboard, Ayra Starr revealed that her mother’s guidance led her to relocate from Benin Republic to Lagos, often referred to as the “land of music.”
Reflecting on her upbringing, Ayra Starr disclosed, “I feel like my mum has been using music to blackmail me since I was a child. She was like, ‘If you want to do music, you have to do this.’ When she suggested we relocate to Lagos from Benin Republic, I declined initially, but she convinced me that Lagos is the land of music. She insisted that if I wanted to do music, I would have to finish school first.”
Despite her initial hesitation, Ayra Starr eventually pursued her education alongside her musical aspirations. Remarkably, she gained admission into the university at the age of 14, a year younger than most students in Nigeria. Ayra Starr disclosed that she took the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam alongside her elder brother, and her results secured her admission into a reputable institution.
Explaining her decision to enter university at such a young age, Ayra Starr noted, “I got into the university at 14. Usually, a lot of people in Nigeria finish secondary school at 15 or 16. I knew that if I waited till I was 15 [before completing my secondary school], I wouldn’t be able to be a teenage pop star.”
"I got into uni at 14"
– Ayra Starr pic.twitter.com/i51gJrVbNY
— 🐬 @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) February 22, 2024