Entertainment
From Rags To Riches …Touching Stories Of Celebrities
Just like us, most Nigerian
celebrities didn’t always have an easy life before they became famous. From Joseph Benjamin working as a security guard to Timaya a plantain seller, most celebrities began their careers making an earning doing menial tasks. These celebrities had odd jobs before stardom, they include.
Patoranking
Patrick Nnaemeka, Patoranking didn’t always have things rosy. In fact, the Headies Award Next Rated Artiste for 2014 was a former bricklayer and rat poison seller on the streets of Lagos! He virtually rose from nothing to the star he is today.
Don Jazzy
Before Don Jazzy became famous and made fellow producers feel inferior, the Mavin Boss moved to London in the United Kingdom in 2000 after his uncle invited him to come play the drums for the neighbourhood church.He did various odd jobs including working at McDonalds as a security guard while trying to hit it big.
Joseph Benjamin
Who would even think that polished looking actor, model and voice over artiste, Joseph Benjamin was also once a bus conductor, security guard, waiter, bakery worker and a shoe seller? The MTN project fame host revealed in an interview that he went through various jobs before finally hitting it big in the movie industry.
Timaya
Back in the days, timaya was a great ‘hustter’ and a very good plantain seller. Yes! The Egberipapa 1 of Bayelsa was a plantain seller who lived with a lady who took him in after his landlord sent him packing in Port Harcourt.
P-Square
Although they are one of Africa’s biggest artistes now, but these two actually went through hell before the money started coming in Peter once worked as a super market attendant while Paul did some electrical repairs for money.
Banky W
It’s hard to believe but there was a time when Eme boss, Banky W took on the job of a sales boy to make money for studio time in the US. The RnB crooner worked in fast foods outlets, clothing stores and as a knife salesmany selling knives from door to door.
Mercy Johnson Okojie
Nollywood star actress, Mercy Johnson Okojie once opened up about life before the fame, money and marriage where she revealed how she rose from squalor to become one of Nigeria’s most celebrated stars. According to her, asides once living in an uncompleted building, she worked as a maid just to make ends meet.
John Okafor
For comic actor, John Okafor, he was not in anyway born with a silver spoon. In an interview recently, he said before he became a popular person, he sold firewood, a butcher and a hair stylist.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”