Musician and entrepreneur Okyeame Kwame has revealed that his entire public image and brand are built around one simple principle: authenticity.
The artist, born Kwame Nsiah-Apau, explained that his journey into becoming “brand conscious” taught him a powerful truth: “You can’t fake who you are forever.”
“Since I became brand conscious, I realised that I cannot sell anything except what I already am. Because in the final analysis of branding, what you say you are—and how you want people to see you—is not the same as who you really are. And who you are always comes out.”
Okyeame Kwame
The rapper reflected on how many public figures struggle to sustain a false image, warning that time is the ultimate enemy of any fake brand.
It’s a lesson he’s taken to heart. “I look at myself as an intelligent, elegant African,” he said. “So when I’m dressing, that’s what I try to communicate.”
The rapper’s commitment to authentic personal branding has made him a standout in Ghana’s entertainment and business circles, with a career that spans music, health advocacy, fashion, and entrepreneurship—all tied together by a consistent, deeply personal identity.
His message was clear: authenticity isn’t just a personal value—it’s a survival strategy.
Okyeame Kwame on His True Calling
The rap icon revealed that while music may be his first love, education is his true calling, and he fully expects to spend the last chapter of his life in a classroom.
The award-winning musician didn’t just speak about his career, but opened up about a deeper passion: teaching.
“If I weren’t a musician, I’d be a teacher, completely. Even as a musician, I’m still going to be a teacher…because by the end of my life, I will be teaching in one of the universities.”
Okyeame Kwame
Okyeame spoke with deep affection about his early teaching days at Meduma in the Kwabre-East District of the Ashanti Region, where he taught after completing his A-levels.
That experience, he said, left a lasting impression.
“I loved interacting with children. I loved imparting knowledge. I even loved the process of preparing to teach. That’s how I know I’ll end up in a lecture hall, teaching psychology, sociology, philosophy—or even the philosophy of African music.”
Okyeame Kwame
His passion for education is also deeply personal and emotional. Okyeame Kwame shared that his late father once opposed his rap career. “From age 14 to 16, we fought all the time about it,” he recalled.
“But one day, he saw me perform. After that, he made me promise: no matter how far I go with rap, I must go back to school.”
Okyeame Kwame
His father passed away two years later, and that promise became a guiding voice in his life. “I go to school for him. And I go to school for myself,” he added.
What makes his story even more remarkable is the academic challenge he had to overcome. “Growing up, I had dyslexia,” he revealed.
“It wasn’t diagnosed in Ghana, so I was constantly beaten at home and at school. They said I was stupid. But I wasn’t. I just had a different brain.”
Okyeame Kwame
The ‘Rap Dacta’ described himself as neurodivergent and has become an advocate for a better understanding of children with learning difficulties. “Some children have dyslexia, some have dyscalculia, and we beat them because we don’t understand that their brains just work differently,” he said.
Despite these early struggles, the musician turned educator has earned two master’s degrees and is currently working on his PhD.
“I just do it for myself—to prove I wasn’t stupid. I do it to fulfil the promise I made to my father. And I do it because I know I’m meant to teach.”
Okyeame Kwame
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