5 Ghanaian celebrities whose careers were destroyed due to drug abuse

The Ghanaian entertainment industry has long been a stage for brilliance, a place where extraordinary talents have captivated audiences at home and abroad. Yet, behind the glamour and thunderous applause, some of Ghana’s most gifted musicians fought a darker battle.

Drug abuse, the silent destroyer, crept into their lives, derailing promising careers and, in some cases, leading to untimely deaths.

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Here are five heartbreaking stories of celebrated Ghanaian entertainers whose lives were scarred by addiction.

1.Okomfour Kwadee

Born Jerry Anaba in Navrongo, Upper East Region, Okomfour Kwadee became one of hiplife’s defining voices in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His debut album was an instant hit, blending traditional Ghanaian storytelling with contemporary beats, a signature style that made him a pioneer of the genre.

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However, fame gave way to turmoil. For over twelve years, Kwadee battled mental health challenges reportedly linked to drug abuse. His mother revealed that her son’s troubles stemmed from “stubbornness, bad company, and substance use.”

Despite attempts by prominent figures such as Abraham Ohene Djan and Evangelist Lord Kenya to get him medical help, his condition worsened due to internal family disputes. Viral videos later showed the once-vibrant rapper in a frail state, confirming the toll addiction had taken on his life.

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By 2025, however, Kwadee’s story took a hopeful turn. Having regained his strength, he began leading anti-drug campaigns in the Ashanti Region, warning youths about the dangers of opioids such as “Red” or “225.” His recovery journey serves as both an inspiration and a stark reminder of addiction’s heavy cost.

2. Lord Kenya

Abraham Philip Akpor Kojo Kenya, better known as Lord Kenya, was one of the most influential figures in Ghana’s hiplife scene. Signed to Slip Music in 1998, his debut album Sika Card introduced a raw, street-inspired energy that redefined local rap music. With hits like “Enyomo,” “Medo,” and “Sika Mpo Mfa Neho,” he became a household name.

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Yet behind the fame, Lord Kenya was spiralling. He later recounted how peer pressure lured him into alcoholism and drug use. “I was taught how to drink, then stayed with a friend who had marijuana at home. He encouraged me to smoke as much as I wanted,” he told his congregation.

The rapper confessed that he became addicted to cocaine and Indian hemp, admitting that he often “beat his father and wife” while under the influence. He squandered his wealth on “cocaine, women, and alcohol.”

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Everything changed on 28th October 2010 when he said he had a divine encounter with the Holy Spirit. Since then, Lord Kenya has turned his life around, now serving as the head pastor of the Face of Grace Covenant Temple in Kumasi. His story is one of true redemption, from rap heavyweight to evangelical preacher using his past to save others.

3.OJ Blaq

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Andy Nii Akrashie, known in showbiz as OJ Blaq, shot to fame in the early 2000s with hits such as “Chale Wote,” “Me Wo Mma,” and “Target.” His charisma and distinctive voice made him one of Ghana’s most promising acts.

But his health began to deteriorate after years of heavy drinking and smoking. In 2016, he publicly admitted that “smoking and drinking caused my kidneys to fail.” He survived kidney failure but was forced to completely change his lifestyle, adopting a strict diet and abandoning secular music for gospel.

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OJ Blaq later became a junior pastor at the Empowerment Worship Centre, saying he had “quit alcohol and smoking” for good. Sadly, he passed away on 17th August 2023, at age 40. Though the cause of death was not officially confirmed, he had battled kidney disease and undergone dialysis for several years.

Lynx Entertainment, the label that launched his career, mourned him as “the first artiste to ever walk into Lynx Studio to record music.”

4.Agbeko

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Bismark Yankah, popularly known as Agbeko, once enjoyed success working with veteran producer Hammer and collaborating with Sarkodie on “Lay Low.” But his life took a devastating turn after he became entangled in drug abuse.

In an interview in October 2025, Agbeko revealed that addiction had left him homeless and struggling with memory loss. “I lost everything ,my home, my money, and my friends. When people saw me on the streets and I didn’t respond, they thought I was arrogant. They had no idea what I was going through,” he shared.

He traced his downfall to a relationship with a woman who introduced him to drugs after a performance on Oxford Street. Once an artist with promise, Agbeko resorted to selling clothes from an indoor boutique and later hawked items to survive.

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Now, he says he is ready to change, seeking rehabilitation and a fresh start, a painful but powerful reflection of how addiction can consume even the most talented.

5.Kiki Gyan

Kiki Gyan’s story remains one of the most tragic in Ghana’s music history. A prodigious keyboardist who joined the world-famous Osibisa band at just 15, Kiki once lived a life of luxury, performing for global icons like Elton John and Mick Jagger and earning over $1 million by age 18.

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However, the glamour soon faded. Gyan once confessed that the day he tried cocaine in New York was “the baddest day of my life.” His addiction to hard drugs lasted over two decades, costing him his marriage, fortune, and health.

By the time he returned to Ghana, he was broke and abandoned. In June 2004, Kiki Gyan died alone in a church washroom at age 47, reportedly from drug-related complications and other factors. When found, he had only seven thousand cedis (around 70 cents) on him.

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His daughter, Vanessa, later lamented, “There was no house, no land, no property left. He helped many people, but when he went broke, no one helped him.”

The Bigger Picture

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These artists’ lives reveal a haunting truth about fame and vulnerability. Beneath the spotlight, many creative minds struggle with pressures that make them susceptible to substance abuse. Their stories, of talent, downfall, and in some cases, redemption, underscore the urgent need for stronger support systems in Ghana’s entertainment industry.

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From Okomfour Kwadee’s resilience to Lord Kenya’s transformation and Kiki Gyan’s tragic end, these tales remind us that brilliance without balance can quickly become a curse. Beyond the fame lost and lives destroyed, the real tragedy lies in the music never made, and the dreams cut short by addiction’s unforgiving grip.