Talented artist today cultivate an extreme influence in a world of political non-sense and destructive media. Timeless musicians that are able to grab our attention and comment on society’s faults should be celebrated. CHIKA is a bold artist on her way to fame we are featuring for Black History Month.
Black History Month celebrates not only public figures that broke social barriers, but also the music that impacts history moving forward.
During Black History Month, Music Daily wants to future amazing Black artists who are moving the Black culture forward. CHIKA is just that.
CHIKA’s Beginnings
CHIKA is native to in Montgomery, Alabama, and was heavily involved with music and slam poetry while there. Berklee College of Music accepted her, but due to tuition costs, she enrolled at the University of South Alabama. She dropped out after her first year to focus on a music career.
The 22-year old rapper became known from her freestyle of Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks”. In her freestyle she is notable for bars on West and his relationship with former President Donald Trump.
CHIKA has been an advocate for women mental health and black equality since popping on to the scene in 2019. She is doing all this with undeniable flow and lyrics. Her style reminiscent of Biggie smalls has curated songs about overcoming depression, seeing past gender, and lifting up black voices.
CHIKA’s Music
In her debut 2020 EP INDUSTRY GAMES, she hits on ideas of depression and acceptance in her generation. In the song “Crown” she raps.” This is for the kids with depression, the one’s whose parental expectations got them stressin’. The one’s who would rather persevere, bust they ass, tryna make it ’cause-,they ain’t really livin’ in the present. They out here grindin’, seekin’ perfect timin’,” She says” I don’t argue with my destiny, And if my choices don’t affect you, why you testin’ me?”
CHIKA is steadily becoming a voice for the youth and her articulate rhyme scheme helps get her points across. Her involvement goes past the booth as well.
Artist Activism
During a XXL roundtable on “Racism, Politics and Social Justice” the freshmen class member was credited saying, “I think in what I share, what I do, what I donate, when I literally put my body out there in the midst of a global pandemic. Yeah, I’m furthering the conversation,” says CHIKA, who was detained by police at a protest a few months ago.
“I’m gonna continue to because we gotta keep talking about it until something is done.”
The artist is not afraid to speak out about issues that effect people that fell and look just like her. Her presence in the Hip-Hip game is a breathe a fresh air the seeks to be a voice that goes past money and having expensive things. CHIKA is a feature for black history month because she has potential and has shown to be a positive voice for the Black people in America.
Black History Month is an acknowledgement of the past that has followed Black people around for centuries, but in order to keep improving like the MLKs and Rosa Parks of history, we must find more strong voices of future like CHIKA.
