I don’t even enjoy being an artiste – Amerado opens up about music, pressure, and survival

Ghanaian rapper Amerado has revealed that his music career was born not out of passion, but necessity. According to the artist, music was a means to an end, a survival tool, not a dream.

“The main reason I got into music was to survive—I just wanted to eat,” he confessed during an interview with DJ Slim on Daybreak Hitz. “Most of the time, I don’t even enjoy being an artiste.”

The Abronoma hitmaker painted a sobering picture of fame, where public expectations often strip away personal freedom. He described feeling constantly boxed in by the demands of the spotlight.

“I feel restricted,” he said. “Whenever you’re in public, especially in traffic, you’re expected to hand out money to fans.”

This pressure to perform outside the studio, he noted, weighs heavily—particularly when it comes to maintaining an image in public life.

“The maintenance no be easy,” he added, referring to the emotional and financial toll of being a public figure.

Still, not all aspects of his career feel burdensome. For Amerado, the stage is where things shift. Performing live offers a rare sense of connection and joy.

Despite everything, he finds purpose in those brief moments under the lights, where the energy of the crowd reminds him why he kept going.

When asked what path he might have chosen if not music, Amerado didn’t hesitate: he would have pursued football.