Ghanaian rapper Okyeame Kwame has revealed that a conversation with his colleague Samini played a significant role in his journey towards becoming a vegetarian.
Speaking in an interview with Abena Kyei on UTV on November 6, 2026, the rapper explained that although he had considered reducing his meat consumption from childhood, it was his interaction with Samini during Ghana's participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa that introduced him to the idea of completely giving up meat.
According to Okyeame Kwame, Samini, who was already a vegetarian at the time, explained the lifestyle to him and advised him to be careful about his diet to avoid becoming excessively lean.
"As a child, while living with my parents, I couldn't choose what to eat. However, I knew that I would eventually cut down on my meat consumption. When Ghana went to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, I met Samini. He is also a vegetarian, and he eats only eggs, which he consumes only once in a while.
“We have a lot of vegetarians in the industry, including Kojo Antwi, Kofi Kinaata, Blakk Rasta and many others. They just don't make noise about it as I do. I had a conversation with Samini, and he explained everything about being a vegan to me. However, he warned me to be careful because I could become very lean if I wasn't careful," he said.
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The rapper disclosed that the conversation gradually influenced his eating habits to the extent that he initially struggled to eat chicken unless it was cut into smaller pieces and mixed with his food.
“Since then, when I buy food and they give me chicken, I wouldn’t be able to eat it unless they cut it into smaller pieces and mix it with the food,” he shared.
He further explained that his decision to completely stop eating meat was strengthened when he turned 40 and began noticing increases in his blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
"Fast-forward to when I turned 40, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were going up, and I even bought a blood pressure monitor. I didn't understand why because I exercise every day, watch my diet and get enough sleep,” he stated.
He added, "Then I decided to stop eating meat to see if it would help. I stopped eating all kinds of meat for three years, and I was left with only fish and eggs. Along the line, I stopped eating fish as well. Within eight weeks, my cholesterol levels dropped and returned to normal, just like when I was younger. That's when I realised that I was supposed to stick to being a vegan.”
“I had a high metabolic rate, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels, but after adopting a vegan diet, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels reduced significantly, and my overall health improved.” – Okyeame Kwame #AdekyeNsroma https://t.co/m7BEslk0lr
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) November 6, 2026 FG/EB 54 countries to attend Afro Gastro Festival 2026 in Accra – Dzifa Gomashie