Hiplife musician turned evangelist Yaw Siki has disclosed what drove him into smoking, citing hip hop music as a major influence.

The ‘Wope Dodo’ hitmaker, who became born again about 13 years ago after surviving a motor accident, told Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio in an interview on Hitz FM that his curiosity for cigarettes and weed was hatched when he immersed himself in hip hop music.

“Hip hop itself, that culture made me curious about weed smoking. I wanted to try weed because to hip hop. I am one of the biggest hiphop fans. I loved underground hip hop music, West Coast underground hip hop music,” he said on Daybreak Hitz.

According to Siki, most of the artistes he admired in hip hop frequently rapped about weed, which influenced his interest.

He added that although he started drinking alcohol at Junior High School level, he only began smoking while in senior high school.

Due to the impact hip hop had on him, Yaw Siki says he has resolved not to allow his children to listen to secular music.

He noted that he ensures all his radio and television channels are restricted to Christian or clean content.

His decision, he explained, is rooted in his upbringing, recalling that his elder brother introduced him to hip hop, while he developed a taste for alcohol after his mother regularly sent him to buy it before she took her meals.

Since leaving secular music, Yaw Siki has released a number of gospel songs.

He is currently out with a new EP titled ‘Divine Selection’, which features songs such as Advice, Knock Knock, Prayer Meeting and Work in Progress.