I couldn't eat or sleep - Solidstar recounts battle with drug addiction

Nigerian singer Solidstar has revealed how he became introduced to hard drugs by some friends in 2021.

Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the recently sober artiste narrated how he moved to the Festac area of Lagos State after being on the Island for a while recording music. There, he said he was introduced to illicit substances that debilitated him.

"When I got tired of being on the Island, I went to Festac to chill. You heard that I went crazy right? It was there that they introduced me to one substance. You know that time, there were many available substances," he said.

Going into detail, he noted that he was introduced to the unnamed drug by some new friends that he made in the area, and he found himself addicted to it over time.

"I had already planned that I was going to stay at a hotel for six months because my old friends no dey. So I made new friends, some young boys who introduced me to this substance in 2021. And this substance really did me bad, it really affected me negatively. And I fell in love with it and got addicted, I took it in the morning afternoon and night," said Solidstar.

He continued, highlighting the effects of the drug. "This substance didn't let me eat, didn't let me sleep but what I loved about it was that it made me work. If I wanted to record three songs in one sitting, I could. That's how I got addicted and I became so lean and very frustrated, and that was when I lost myself," he said.

Recall in August 2023, the public became aware of Solidstar's declining mental health after his brother Joseph, shared a video showing his brother walking along the streets shouting to himself. The viral video triggered a state of worry among the singer's fans and Nigerians at large. At the time, actress Tonto Dikeh offered to assist Solidstar in any way she could.

Now, Solidstar says that he stopped smoking and drinking alcohol after years of struggle, and is also working to release new music.