Rapper Cal_Vin says he is an alcoholic who squandered his money on booze. “When I came back from the UK I discovered that I had this c...
Rapper Cal_Vin says he is an alcoholic who squandered his
money on booze.
“When I came back from the UK I discovered that I had this
condition and my doctor told me to leave the booze for a while. I would drink
and just start shaking. It started as a form of a hangover but eventually I
would shake even during the drinking. That’s when I went to a doctor and he
told me that my body couldn’t take it anymore. He told me to take a break from
alcohol.
“Last year someone dared me and said can you even go a week
without drinking because you do it every day. I said that I can if I wanted to.
The person said that if you can do it for 30 days I’ll give you money. So I did
the 30 days and I ended up doing 60 days.
“It wasn’t something that I took seriously but during that
time I started to adopt better habits. I would spend more time in the studio,
avoiding people because I knew that would lead to drinking sessions. I would
wake up with no hangover and all I would want to do was work. That’s how I made
the album Nhliziyo.
“I realised that everyone when they come to my house they
always bring alcohol. Now I’m already classified as a drunkard instead of the
best rapper in the country. So this friend of mine walked me through everything
that people were saying about me because of my addiction and also the fact that
I would curse and get in fights when I’m high and also how we usually found
ourselves in places we weren’t supposed to be.
“It affects your
financial stability as well. All the money that you get you just squander on
alcohol. People say you could have bought this and that and I could have, but
all the money went to alcohol. I was going through my booking contacts and I
realised I made US $13 000 around 2015 through gigs alone but I didn’t do a
single meaningful thing.
“I would get paid US $500 to US$1 000 to be on stage for 30
minutes and I would blow that money. I would tell myself I’ll make this same
amount again the next night. I travelled around the world and to Europe but all
that money was squandered.
“I’m not speaking against alcohol. People handle it
differently. Some handle it well but I know that personally I can’t handle it.
If I get drunk right now I could close the doors and start fighting everyone.
If I get money I can leave a drinking spot without a cent on me,” he told the
Sunday News
COMMENTS