I never smoked or drank alcohol in my 30 yrs as a musician, says Ras Kimono

Veteran reggae artiste, Ras Kimono has decried the heavy use of drugs and alcohol by young Nigerian entertainers. Speaking to The Nation, the root reggae crooner said, “With the rate at which our young entertainers are abusing drugs, and alcohol, many of them will be raving mad, in asylums, or rehab in the next 10 years”.

He opined that many youngsters fail to heed the fact that so many lives have been wasted by the twin evils of alcoholism, and drug addiction in different parts of the world over the years from Canada, to Europe, Africa, and the United States.

The practicing Rastafarian who is a vegetarian, and neither smokes nor drinks stated that contrary to the Ganja (Marijuana) smoking culture associated with reggae music, which has its roots in the Jamaican culture, “I have never smoked ,nor drank alcohol in my over thirty years as a musician. There are a number of reggae musicians who do not abuse drugs, nor drink alcohol.”

Speaking further, he urged aspiring musicians to focus on improving their music craftsmanship, and learn how to play musical instruments rather than seeking cheap popularity to acquire many women.

Although an Asaba, Delta State indigene, the father of five prefers to be identified as an African, following the ideological footsteps of African statesmen like Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; who believed in the unity of the African continent.