Speed Darlington, the controversial rapper, has revealed that Damian Azubike ‘Pericomo’ Nwankwo Okoye, the late Highlife legend, was not his biological father.
The rapper, born Darlington Okoye, clarified his family lineage during a recent interview on The Honest Bunch podcast.
Darlington explained that his late mother, the singer Queen Achakpo, had him with another man before her relationship with Pericomo.
He said he was subsequently taken to live with the Okoye family at approximately nine years old.
Darlington said despite not being his biological child, Pericomo treated him with kindness and fully integrated him into the family.
He added that as a testament to this acceptance, he was featured on the cover of one of Pericomo’s albums alongside two of his half-brothers.
“He is my stepfather. I grew up in his house. One of his albums has me on his cover and two of my half-brothers. I was very young when I went to his house; I was probably nine,” he said.
The rapper also corrected the perception of Pericomo as a stern or intimidating figure, painting a picture of a welcoming home.
“He was not like that. It was a place you go and get free meal. It was not a place you go to be scared. Or bad things might happen to you,” he said.
“I was much younger than 15. I was like nine.”
Here’s a clip of one of Pericomo’s songs:
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