Qute Kaye drops powerful memoir on surviving addiction 

Nine years after an incident he describes as the darkest chapter of his life, singer Qute Kaye is sharing his harrowing journey to recovery from drug addiction in a powerful new memoir.

The book titled, ‘Surviving Addiction: a Memoir of a Musician’s Fight for Recovery’ is intended as a lifeline, offering guidance and hope to fellow artists and young people navigating the treacherous path of drug addiction. 

The musician, reaal names Ivan Kawuma hopes his recollection of events, particularly his lowest ebb in 2015, will serve as a stark warning and a source of inspiration.

The memoir centres on the events leading up to and immediately following his arrest in 2015, when he was caught red-handed attempting to steal a car headlight. 

At the time, Kaye was battling the toughest phase of his addiction, dependent on potent drugs including alcohol, heroin, and cocaine. 

Images of his arrest—surrounded by an angry mob before the police intervened—were shared widely on social media, shocking his dedicated fan base. 

He writes about the moment he hit rock bottom, detailing the emotional desolation he felt amidst the crowd:

Surrounded by people who once sang along to my music, I should have felt the weight of every mistake I had made. But I didn’t. The drugs, debt, depression, regret, fear, pain and anger, had led me to this state. I felt so empty and alone.

My mind flashed back to the nights I had performed on grand stages; fans smiling and lighting up the darkness. I had lost all of it – the music, respect, hope – and now I had almost lost my life to an angry mob. When the police arrived, pulling me away from the mob, I should have been relieved.

But all I felt was emptiness. I thought of my mother and my family. It was not supposed to end it this way. Retrospectively, I see that this was a prologue to the darkest chapter of my life. It was the moment I hit rock bottom.

Kaye revealed in a televised interview this week that he started writing the book whilst undergoing treatment in rehab. 

After being checked in, he spent a challenging two weeks in and out of consciousness during detox medication. 

Upon regaining clarity, he searched his name on Google, and the devastating news coverage of his arrest prompted an attempt on his own life. 

“I decided to take my life. One evening I tied a bedsheet in the window and waited for everybody to go to sleep. I was in so much [pain],” he recounted. 

However, before the act, reading the Bible offered a verse that changed his perspective, leading to the realisation that "a setback is a set up for a comeback.” 

Now, through his writing, Qute Kaye offers simple, direct counsel to others, advising young people to cut ties with drug use and related hobbies immediately.