Yemi Alade, the Nigerian singer, has revealed her brief butimpactful struggle with smoking addiction during her university years. During a recent appearance on the WithChude podcast, the‘Johnny’ hitmaker recounted her experience with the habit, which she said beganas an experiment but quickly spiraled. Alade, 36, described a period where she “started needing tosmoke before I go to bed,” acknowledging she was becoming addicted to thelifestyle. The situation, she said, created an internal conflict forher. The singer said she found herself living a double life, hiding hercigarettes in public to maintain her image. According to her, the secrecybecame the catalyst for her decision to stop. “When I was at the university, I tried smoking. It did notwork out. Before it did not work out, it worked out a bit too much. In that Istarted needing to smoke before I go to bed,” she said. “I was getting addicted to that lifestyle. But also inpublic, I would hide the cigarettes. So I was like, what is this life, thediscomfort that I cannot go to bed without smoking, and when I go out, I amgoing to hide. “As a teenager in the university, trying to find life, Ialso made some decisions for myself that if I was going to hide to dosomething, I am not going to do it. Because I like to be aware of myenvironment, my decisions, and I just said I do not think cigarettes are forme. And they affect my voice anyway.” The ‘Mama Africa’ hitmaker said despite the addiction, herself-imposed discipline kicked in. She revealed that the smoking phase lastedless than a year, crediting her ability to set strict personal boundaries. “Smoking did not last for me up to a year. I am a kind ofperson who can be stubborn. I make ultimatums for myself in my head, and I trymy best to stand by them. But I get tempted every now and then, like everyother human being,” she added.
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