Rapper, CHIKA, whose rise to prominence only just begun has announced her retirement from music due to the “mental toll being in the industry” has taken on her.
CHIKA, who was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2021 shared her announcement on Twitter. Candidly explaining, “the mental toll being in the industry has taken on me is not something you bounce back from easily.”
After announcing her retirement, the 24-year-old spoke about the backlash she received for even mentioning the decision. She wrote, “today I told Twitter about retiring.” She continued, “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 f***ing cool, it’s not ‘trolling’ or ‘stan culture’, you’re pushing people to a point of no return.”
The artist shared her full statement adding, “with that said I’m out. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try again, idc. Have fun, I never f****n liked it here anyway.”
At the 2021 GRAMMYs, CHIKA was nominated for Best New Artist and last month dropped an EP called Once Upon A Time, which proceeded her 2017 EP Full Bloom // A Poetry and her 2020 EP Industry Games.
The Alabama native has used her platform not only to speak about mental health but also to discuss gender, race, and body image.
In 2020, CHIKA’s single “My Power” was featured in the Netflix film Project Power. Additionally, during an Instagram live session with Snoop Dogg the two rappers hit it off and he asked her to write a song for him.
Snoop told her, “I’m here to tell you I f*** with your music. I love your s***. 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.”
WATCH MORE: LGBTQIA community - disproportionately affected by mental health issues
Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-8255
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