Former Dancehall Star Kaakie Earns Doctorate in Nursing, Launches Mental Health Practice in US

Ghanaian dancehall artiste Kaakie has taken a major step in her healthcare career after earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) qualification and launching her own mental health practice in the United States.

Born Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey, the former musician is now professionally known as Dr Grace Aidoo, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC. She is the founder of Kaylora Holistic Wellness & Recovery, a US-based practice providing psychiatric and therapeutic services.

A Doctor of Nursing Practice is a doctoral-level nursing qualification that prepares healthcare professionals for advanced clinical practice, leadership and specialised patient care.

Kaakie’s latest achievement marks a remarkable transition from Ghana’s dancehall scene to advanced mental healthcare, while also bringing her professional journey back to her original field.

Before becoming a musician, Kaakie studied nursing and midwifery at the University of Ghana. She gained public attention after competing on the television music competition Stars of the Future, where she placed fifth.

Her participation in the competition opened the door to a professional music career. She later worked with music producer JMJ and signed with Xtra Large Music, becoming one of the notable female voices in Ghana’s dancehall movement in the early 2010s.

During her music career, she released popular songs including “Ewoo,” “Too Much,” “Toffee Pon Tongue,” and “Zuuchia.” Her work earned her recognition at the 2013 Ghana Music Awards, where she won Best New Artiste of the Year and Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year.

Despite her success in music, Kaakie maintained her connection to healthcare. In a 2014 interview with Graphic Showbiz, she discussed the challenge of balancing her career as a registered general nurse with her growing music career.

Kaakie eventually stepped away from the music industry to concentrate on healthcare and further education.

In 2019, she obtained a master’s degree from Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom. A year later, she told Joy FM that her interest in contributing to healthcare, particularly maternal health, had grown stronger than her desire to continue pursuing music.

Her professional focus later shifted toward mental health.

In 2025, Kaakie announced that she had earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialisation from Walden University.

Her latest achievement, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, has now taken her education and professional development to the doctoral level.

Professional listings identify Dr Grace Aidoo as a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with her work linked to Kaylora Holistic Wellness & Recovery.

The launch of her own practice represents a new chapter for the former dancehall star, whose energetic performances once made her a familiar name in Ghana’s music industry.

From nursing student to dancehall artiste and now a doctoral-level mental health practitioner and healthcare entrepreneur, Kaakie’s career has evolved across two distinct fields that have played significant roles in her life.

Source: Joy Entertainment