In a recent interview, Nigerian singer Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel, popularly known as Mayorkun, opened up about the reasons behind keeping his mother's identity a secret for many years. He emphasized that during his formative years, he preferred not to disclose that his mother was the renowned Nollywood actress Toyin Adewale.
Before attaining fame, Mayorkun and his brother desired to lead ordinary lives, which proved challenging given their mother's widespread popularity. They consciously kept their mother's identity low-key to achieve their desired freedom.
Mayorkun explained, “Growing up, my brother and I didn’t like that our mom was a popular actress because we wanted freedom, but with her fame came fake attention."
The singer further revealed that his choice to keep his mother's identity under wraps was also driven by humility. He expressed his desire for people to appreciate him for who he is, without any bias, based on his mother's fame.
“I hated being treated differently, not because you like me but because I am Toyin Adewale’s son," he added.
Mayorkun reflected on his university days at the University of Lagos, where he pursued a degree in accounting. During this time, he went to great lengths to maintain a normal lifestyle and successfully kept his mother's identity hidden for the four years of his higher education.
He recounted, “Even at my university, people didn’t know she was my mother for four years. I was intentional about this. My mum brought food to me at school once, and a girl saw her. I quickly ran to her to get what she came with, just so no one else saw her.”
Mayorkun, the eldest of his parents' three children, was born into a family of entertainers, and it is no surprise that he followed suit and became an entertainer himself.
