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Ayra Starr claims she gained admission into the university at age 14
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, a well-known singer and songwriter better known by her stage name Ayra Starr, has disclosed that she was 14 years old when she was accepted into the university.
The Mavin Records princess claimed to have received her bachelor’s degree early because her mother had insisted that she complete her education before pursuing her dream of becoming a teenage pop star.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Ayra Starr revealed the information, stating that her mother was the one who recommended that she relocate to Lagos.
The ‘Rush’ hit-maker further said she sat for JAMB exam together with her elder brother and with her result, she got admitted into a good school.
Starr recounted: “I got into the university at 14. 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 want to do music, I would have to finish school first. Usually, a lot of people in Nigeria finish secondary school at 15, 16. I knew that if I waited till I’m 15 [before completing my secondary school], I won’t be able to be a teenage pop star. And I wanted to be a teenage pop star. So, I joined my elder brother and wrote JAMB, what you guys called SAT here.
“To be honest, the result wasn’t craazy to get me onto all these Ivy League schools but it was enough to pass by. It was enough for my mum. I got admitted into a good school. My course was for three years. It was International Relations. And immediately after my graduation, I started doing music covers online and that same year I got signed [to Mavin Records label].”
Watch the interview: