“I Will Die a Teacher” – Okyeame Kwame Reveals Passion for Education Over Music

Okyeame Kwame Reveals Lifelong Dream to Become a University Lecturer Despite Music Fame

Ghanaian rap icon Okyeame Kwame, born Kwame Nsiah-Apau, has shared that while music may have brought him fame and accolades, his true calling lies in education. In a heartfelt interview with George Quaye on Joy Prime’s Prime Time Show on Wednesday, June 25, the celebrated artist revealed his long-standing dream of becoming a university lecturer.

“If I weren’t a musician, I’d be a teacher—completely,” Okyeame Kwame declared. “Even as a musician, I’m still going to be a teacher… by the end of my life, I will be teaching in one of the universities.”

The award-winning musician traced his passion for teaching back to his early days as a teacher in Meduma, located in the Kwabre-East District of the Ashanti Region, where he taught after completing his A-levels. That experience, he said, sparked a lifelong love for education.

“I loved interacting with children. I loved imparting knowledge. I even loved preparing my lessons. That’s how I know I’ll end up in a lecture hall, teaching psychology, sociology, philosophy—or the philosophy of African music,” he said with conviction.

His commitment to education is not just professional—it’s deeply personal. Okyeame Kwame revealed that his late father initially disapproved of his rap career and insisted he return to school.

“From age 14 to 16, we fought all the time about it. But one day he saw me perform, and everything changed. He made me promise that no matter how far I go in music, I must go back to school,” he recalled. “That promise became my compass after he passed away.”

But Okyeame Kwame’s academic journey has not been without challenges. The rapper disclosed that he grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia, which led to years of misunderstanding and mistreatment both at home and in school.

“I was always beaten and called stupid. But I wasn’t stupid—I just had a different brain,” he explained. “In Ghana, we don’t talk enough about neurodivergence. Some children have dyslexia or dyscalculia, and they’re punished for it instead of being supported.”

Now an advocate for neurodivergent learners, Okyeame Kwame is on a mission to promote better awareness of learning disabilities in Ghana’s education system.

Despite his early struggles, he has earned two master’s degrees and is currently pursuing a PhD—motivated by his love for knowledge and the vow he made to his father.

“I do it to prove I wasn’t stupid. I do it to honour my father. But most of all, I do it because I know I’m meant to teach.”

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