“If Not for Music, I’d Be in Prison” – Jeriq Opens Up on His Past

• Jeriq says music helped keep him away from vices and prison after several arrests earlier in life.
• The rapper also shared his early career struggles and expressed confidence in gaining global recognition through Igbo rap.

Nigerian rapper Jeriq has opened up about how music helped him escape a life of vices and possible imprisonment.

Speaking in an interview with YouTuber The Smallie, the Enugu-born rapper revealed that he had been arrested several times by law enforcement agencies in the past.

“I have been arrested multiple times by law enforcement agencies due to vices. If you look at my hands and legs, you will see scars of handcuffs. Anti-cult, police have all arrested me before.

“Thank God for music. If not for music, I would probably be in prison by now,” he said.

Jeriq also recalled his early struggles in Lagos, saying he found it difficult to secure collaborations when he was still upcoming. He noted that things changed in 2021 when he returned and released a collaborative EP, East and West, with Dremo.

He added that he remains confident about achieving international success while rapping in his native Igbo language.

In other news…. The father of the late Nigerian Afrofuji singer, Afeez Adeshina, popularly known as Destiny Boy, has been left devastated following his son’s death.

Destiny Boy passed away on February 18, 2025, just months after welcoming his first child, a loss that shocked fans, colleagues in the music industry, and the public.

Emotional videos circulating on social media show the singer’s father overwhelmed with grief at his home after receiving confirmation of his son’s passing. He broke down in tears, repeatedly calling out Destiny Boy’s name as he struggled to come to terms with the painful news.

Pastor Ade was present at the scene, offering comfort to the grieving father.

In the viral clip, the elderly man could be heard pleading with the pastor:

“Pastor Ade… Pastor Ade, please let me see Afeez, let me see my son. I beg you in the name of God, let me see my son. He is the one feeding me. He promised to take me out of the country and stop me from being an okada rider,” he cried.

The heartbreaking footage has generated an outpouring of sympathy online, with many users offering prayers, condolences, and messages of support to the family as they mourn the young singer’s loss.