Yemi Alade Shares How She Overcame Sexual Harassment to Rise in Music

Before she became a star, Yemi Alade faced a tough road in the music world.

The Nigerian singer revealed that as a teenager, she often had to deal with sexual harassment from people in power.

Back then, all she had was her talent and determination.

She did not have money to promote herself, so she relied on showing up and working hard. But success did not come easily.

Many doors she approached were closed, and some people were more interested in taking advantage of her than her music.

Alade admitted that some executives made inappropriate advances during meetings and studio sessions. She often felt shocked and unsure how to respond.

In those early days, all I thought I needed was my talent because that was all I had. I did not have a bank account full of money to support myself. I only had my talent, my zeal, and a promise I made to myself, which I also believed God had made to me. I always tried to show up. I was told I needed to work harder, so I worked harder, but it still was not enough. There were doors I needed to walk through, and when I got there, they did not want my talent. They wanted something else.

she added:

Many times from business meetings to studio sessions to even winning certain awards and you meet maybe the managing director or any other executive and they are trying to rub your thighs under the table. And I was just a teen. My grand pa is rubbing my legs and I cannot speak because I am in shock.

Despite the pressure, she kept her focus on her dream and learned when to walk away from situations that felt wrong.

Eventually, she realized that waiting for opportunities was not enough. She had to create her own path and push past obstacles.

That determination helped her rise to fame and become one of Africa’s biggest music stars.

I had to speak to myself and decide if music was what I wanted to do because the sexual harassment was becoming too common. But something inside me told me to keep pushing my talent. I still showed up. If a door was left open for me, I would walk in. If it was shut in my face, I would walk away.