Zlatan: failing maths exam pushed me into music

Two side-by-side portraits of a man with blond-tipped braids; channeling Zlatan, he wears sunglasses and jewelry on the left, while on the right, in a striped dark shirt, he looks serious—perhaps reflecting before a maths exam.

Nigerian rapper and singer Zlatan Ibile has shared how an academic setback changed the course of his life.

Speaking on Apple Music 1 with South African host Nandi Madida, the artist said his poor performance in mathematics and accounting stopped him from gaining university admission in 2011.

Zlatan, whose real name is Omoniyi Temidayo, said the experience was disappointing at the time but became the turning point of his journey. “I didn’t even think I’d end up as a musician. I was just a church drummer then,” he said.

He…