Nigerian singer, Spryro has opened up about his upbringing as the child of a pastor and the impact it has had on his life and career.
The singer described his childhood experience growing up as the child of a pastor.
“My dad is a pastor and it was difficult growing up with a pastor,” he began in between laughter.
“You’re going to have to be in church whether or not you want to be in church, you must love God by force. He made us study the Bible from cover to cover, whether you like it or not,” he added.
Spryro humorously recalled the rigorous upbringing he had, highlighting the compulsory Bible study sessions and morning devotions, which were scheduled during the most inconvenient times
“The annoying thing was the morning devotion, it was when sleep was getting deeper that they would wake you up for morning devotion. What the thing does is that it makes you hate God instead of loving him because it’d be like, ‘This God wey wan ruin my life’.”
Spyro
The singer confessed that his upbringing was so rigorous that when he gained admission to the university, he saw it as an escape from the routine at home.
“It was crazy, trust me it was a crazy experience. When I got into uni I saw it as my freedom and I never returned home for about four years. I was like, ‘Thank you Jesus for this open door,’ you know? I was waiting for it and I took it, then I didn’t even turn back.”
Spyro
However, he also recognized the positive side of his strict religious upbringing, noting that his parent’s teachings and the fear of God have not left him to this day.
“The good thing about having pastor parents is that even though I don’t like the approach and everything, that fear of God is still in me. So all through my university, I was saved, I didn’t do it for my parents; I just had the fear of God.
“That has worked for me until now, to this date, I don’t smoke drink, or carry women. All that attests to the fear of God because my dad and mum aren’t here but God is seeing me.”
Spyro
Singer Reveals Reason For Still ‘Grinding’
Spyro emphasized that his mother has been a major driving force behind his hard work and success.
Speaking about his family, he detailed his experience as a pastor’s child and how his father stopped paying his school fees because his grades dropped.
“I just bought a car for my mum and I’ve always wanted to do that. Doing it now just makes me excited that I’m at that point where I can put a smile on her face and make her happy.
“But beyond getting her a car, I’m doing some other things that make her excited and that’s what matters to me. One of the major reasons why I grind is so that I can put a smile on my mum’s face.”
Spyro
The singer reflected on his mother’s sacrifices during his school years, specifically when she took up the mantle of paying his fees after his father stopped.
He narrated, “When I was younger, I wasn’t doing well in school and my dad withdrew and said he wasn’t going to pay my school fees, my mum took the responsibility and sent me to secondary school.”
“I saw her really struggle to do these things and she was also taking care of my twin sister and my older brother. It wasn’t easy on her, it was a lot of work for her and she had to put in extra work and put her hands into other jobs that weren’t as fresh. I feel like I have to repay her and she has to eat the fruits of her labor.”
Spyro
Spyro confessed that his father’s financial withdrawal and stern nature affected his relationship with him over time.
“I think my dad was just trying to be a disciplinarian, that’s why he stopped paying my fees. I would not blame him, I dey try for him sef, but it affected my relationship with him. I felt like he hated me and sometimes I would ask my mum if he was my real father because he was too high-handed.”
Spyro
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