Rising rapper CHIKA has announced her retirement from music, citing the “mental toll being in the industry” has had on her.
The 2021 Grammy nominee made the announcement via her Twitter on April 11. In a candid statement, CHIKA said, “the mental toll being in the industry has taken on me is not something you bounce back from easily.”
The 24-year-old also discussed the backlash she had received after earlier mentioning the prospect of retirement.
“Today I told Twitter [about retiring],” she said. “What followed was a hoard of psychotic fans rejoicing in the decline of my mental health, harassing me as if I spoke to them first. It’s not fucking cool, it’s not “trolling” or “stan culture”, you’re pushing people to a point of no return.”
Read CHIKA’s full statement below:
— CHIKA
(@oranicuhh) April 11, 2021
CHIKA has thus far used her platform to discuss sociopolitical issues including race, gender, and body image.
Nominated for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammy Awards, CHIKA dropped a new EP last month, entitled ‘Once Upon A Time’. The release followed on from two EPs, ‘Full Bloom // A Poetry’ and ‘Industry Games’, released in 2017 and 2020 respectively.
In 2020, the Alabama MC released an empowering single, ‘My Power’, which featured on the Netflix film Project Power.
Having broken mainstream ground in 2020, CHIKA was approached by Snoop Dogg, who asked her to write him a song.
The two hit it off during an Instagram Live session, with Dogg praising CHIKA, saying, “I’m here to tell you I fuck with your music. I love your shit.
“I play it, I enjoy it. I wanted to tell you that. I didn’t want to, like, let you hear about it. I want you [to] hear it from me, from the Dogg’s mouth.”
For help and advice on mental health:
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians (CALL MUSIC MINDS MATTER ON: 0808 802 8008)
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues (CALL: 0800 030 6789)
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day
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