Veteran highlife musician Rex Owusu Marfo, widely known as Rex Omar, has opened up about the risks and sacrifices he made as a teenager to chase a career in music, revealing that he once fled to Nigeria without travel documents in search of money to finance his studio ambitions.

In an interview on Joy Prime’s Prime Time with host George Quaye, the celebrated singer-songwriter said his determination to pursue music put him at odds with his father’s plans for his future, but his passion ultimately guided his choices.

Now a presidential staffer for the Black Star Experience, Rex Omar recalled that his journey began at a young age, shortly after completing middle school, when he decided to leave home and travel to Nigeria to find work and raise funds to record songs.

“I have spent 45 years in the music industry. I started music at age 17 and released my first album at 19,” he noted.

“When I was 15, I ran to Nigeria to look for money to go to the studio. I ran away from the house,” he revealed.

He explained that his father, a medical doctor, had hoped he would follow a more traditional professional path by becoming a lawyer — an expectation he resisted, even after being offered a scholarship to attend secondary school.

“To escape that, I deliberately did not go to secondary school because I knew I would be pushed to study law at the university,” he said.

Rex Omar said his bold decisions were driven by strong self-belief and an unwavering commitment to music.

“When I completed form four, I ran away to Nigeria without a passport, using the money my father used to give me for upkeep. I was an ambitious person determined to do music,” he said.

The gamble eventually paid off. Over the years, Rex Omar has built a celebrated career marked by multiple highlife hits such as Abiba, Daasebre and Medo Wo, while also expanding his influence beyond the stage. He went on to serve as a music executive and former chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) and now holds a role at the Presidency, contributing to national arts and culture initiatives.