For the Girls: Nigerian-American rapper Chika is not new to viral success
She's not afraid to call out the men!
To commemorate Women’s History Month this year, we will be spotlighting a new female artist every day of the month. Some of these women you may know, others you may have heard of and some will be entirely new discoveries. The aim is to spotlight the remarkable young women from around Africa, who are finding their feet through music and giving women a voice of their own.
Nigerian-American rapper, Chika is not new to viral success and fame. Back in 2017, she made her first hit when she flipped Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” into a heartfelt pride anthem titled “Proud”. ‘I will not be ashamed/this is just who I am’ she sang over the chorus, winning over the hearts of many listeners within its release and even gaining her the attention of Ed Sheeran himself.
A year later, she struck again when she delivered a spoken-word diss aimed at Kanye West, following his open support of Donald Trump and controversial comments about black people and slavery. ‘When your check clears don’t forget that your children is still black’ she spits, taking straight jabs at the Yeezus rapper. The video which racked up over 300,000 views on social media, at the time, and also lead to several nods from top artists in the music industry including other female rappers like Cardi B, Missy Elliot and many more.
Chika Oranika has actually been making music for a long time before she became a viral successful, her Soundcloud page dates as far back as 5 years ago when the artist was releasing covers to a number of popular artists from Drake to Wale. Growing up in Alabama with Igbo parents meant that a young Chika had to keep her rapping abilities to herself for a few years, before finding her voice through diss tracks she would write for herself and her friends to ward off bullies. She later dropped out of university to begin pursuing her music career.
This month, the Alabama-native released her debut EP, ‘Industry Games’, a 7-track tape where she works through her personal feelings about the life as a queer Gen Z women the naysayers who did not see her star power. She’s even graced the famous NPR Music Tiny Desk stage like our faves Burna Boy and Koffee before her.
On the EP’s “Intro” she acknowledges her past and where she’s come from, showing her gratitude for her viral success but determined to let her music speak for her. On the EP’s titular track, “Industry Games”, Chika’s clever wordplay and laser-precision flow take focal as she makes sense of two-faced industry mates, snakes and gives a nod to sampling songs. Elsewhere on “Songs About You” her focus shifts, and she raps about being her endearing persistence and her abilities to silence the naysayers despite not having an ‘hourglass figure’.
Listen to ‘Industry Games’ below.
Featured image credits/instagram: oranicuhh
Tami is a lover of astrology, music and women. Tweet your fave female artistes at her @tamimak_
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