Nigerian rapper Panshak Zamani, popularly known as Ice Prince, has shared a deeply personal account of his challenging upbringing, reflecting on the loss of his parents and the financial hardships that shaped his path to success. The award-winning artist, renowned for hits like ‘Oleku,’ delved into his story recently on the Listen With Osi podcast.
Ice Prince’s life took a tragic turn early on, losing his father at the age of 11 and his mother just a decade later when he was 21. “I don’t have a mother, I’m an only son, and that’s quite tough,” he shared candidly. “I’ve been that way since I was 11 years old when I lost my dad.”
Reflecting on his mother’s death, the rapper revealed the burden of becoming the sole provider for his family. “I was 21 or 22 when my mum passed away, and I have a family that depends on me. I don’t have any uncles, aunties, godfathers, or godmothers that I can lean on. It’s been nothing but God in my life.”
Despite his talent and determination, Ice Prince’s dream of pursuing higher education was cut short by financial constraints. He recalled working multiple menial jobs to make ends meet but ultimately had to forgo a university education due to a lack of funds. “I didn’t go to university because of N20,000,” he said, reflecting on the heartbreaking moment he had to give up an admission opportunity because he couldn’t afford the registration fee. “That’s like one spliff now,” he added, highlighting the contrast between then and now. “I had two weeks to pay that money, and I couldn’t come up with it. That’s how I lost the admission and became a studio rat from there.”
The 38-year-old artist’s struggles extended to his school years, where he often missed weeks of classes due to unpaid fees. “I was the guy who would spend at least three weeks out of every school term at home because of school fees,” he said.
Ice Prince’s journey from hardship to fame is a testament to resilience and faith. He hopes his story serves as an inspiration to others. “I just want people to look at my life and be like, ‘If this imperfect human can be somebody, I have no excuse to fail.’”
