‘I couldn’t attend UCC because they were charging international students in dollars’ – Patoranking
Multiple-award-winning Nigerian singer, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, known by the stage name, Patoranking, has revealed the reason he couldn’t further his tertiary education in Ghana.
Although he gained admission to the University of Cape Coast, the Alubarika hitmaker couldn’t advance because the fees for international students like himself, were paid in dollars.
“Back then at the University of Cape Coast, international students were charged in dollars,” Patoranking recounted in an interview with Andy Dosty on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM.
But the singer did not know that the currency and the quoted figure for the fees were going to have an impact on his enrolment in the school and his advancement to the next level of education.
Basking in excitement after gaining admission, he decided to break the news to his father in Nigeria via phone.
The response was not what he had expected. His excitement was abruptly diffused by his father, who said: “My son, I know this is what you want – to further your education at UCC, but you have siblings. It will be nice to have them have a taste of secondary education.”
His father’s response did not sit well with him, but he had to accept it and think of the next viable step.
The 17-year-old boy’s dreams were suddenly shuttered. He had to look for an alternative – something he specialized in — and that at the time for him was music.
Through determination and faith, he decided that he would use music to change the fortunes of his family.
In his quest to pursue music full-time, the Happy Day singer moved from Cape Coast to Accra, Osu – a town that accommodated a lot of Nigerian immigrants at the time.
Before he became the superstar he is today, the Celebrate Me hitmaker recorded 120 collaborations as an underground artist.
In 2013, Patoranking got an invite by DefJam Africa artist, Stonebwoy, to lay a verse on the remixed version of Pull Up – a track that helped the Nigerian singer to find his feet properly in the Ghanaian music scene.
Fast forward to the year 2014, he released the single that “changed everything” – Alubarika (Blessings) ft Timaya.
In the same year, he followed it up with another hit single, Girlie O. The remixed version featured another Nigerian megastar, Tiwa Savage.
In 2016, he released ‘No Kissing Baby’ featuring two-time BET Award winner, Sarkodie.
By further inking his stamp in the Ghanaian music books, he collaborated with artists like Fancy Gadam, KiDi, Kuami Eugene, MzVee, King Promise, Kofi Kinaata, Bisa K’dei, Jupitar and DJ Mic Smith, among others.
Patoranking is currently in Ghana for the promotion of his brand new single, Kolo Kolo featuring Diamond Platinumz.
