Zagba the Shark, an emblematic figure of Rap in Côte d’Ivoire with his Team Paiya, unveils some of the hardships that have marked his journey.
Oskane Dokui, better known by his stage name Zagba the Shark, a rising star of Ivorian rap and a prominent member of Team Paiya, has recently opened up about his personal trials.
At the heart of his confession, he touched on the troubled period he went through following the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire between 2010 and 2011. During this tumultuous time, Zagba’s life was marked by poignant trials, testifying to his resilience in the face of adversity. “At the time, I was attending school in South Africa, but when the power shifted, my family had to go into exile. This made paying my tuition difficult because all my father’s bank accounts were frozen, and we no longer had access to our home. I had to return to the country and found myself in Bonoua, coming from a wealthy family. Overnight, we were left with nothing. My elder sister encouraged me to fight and push forward. It wasn’t easy because we faced many hardships. We sold shoes, launched brands, and managed a bar,” he recounts.
However, these tough times have allowed the singer to recognize “the true value of a person” and to not give too much importance to material things anymore. “These difficult times have allowed us to gain mastery over money today. Before these hardships, we were from a well-off family. We saw how money could disappear in the blink of an eye. Today, it’s therefore impossible for us to be influenced by money,” he concludes.
