Nigerian singer Oludipe Oluwasanmi David, popularly known as Spyro, has opened up about his childhood struggles, revealing that some of his father’s words made him feel “useless” while growing up.

Spyro made the revelation during a podcast conversation with Rufai Oseni on Nevon HQ, where he reflected on his upbringing and the pressure he experienced as a pastor’s child.

“There was nothing to build from because there was no positivity. You know, I was like the black sheep of the family,” he said.

Spyro said the experience affected how he viewed himself from an early age, adding that he often saw himself as a failure and feared he might not complete his education.

“So thinking, when I think of myself, I think of myself as a failure already back then,” he said.

“Because of this fear, I mean, from some of the things that my dad would say and the words that he would use, I kind of felt useless, you know.”

The singer also spoke about the pressure faced by children of pastors, saying they are often expected to live according to standards set by their parents.

“Pastor’s kids always face this thing where there’s so much pressure on them to conform to a certain kind of lifestyle that their parents want them to live,” Spyro said.

“I was under so much pressure.”

His comments offer insight into the personal experiences that shaped his childhood and the effect that parental expectations and words had on his confidence as he grew up.