When it comes to making a splash with your music these days, being an internet sensation is the required catalyst to prove that people will indeed listen to your music. And recording artist, Chika, did just that.
Talented in both singing and rapping, the 22-year-old rising star has been uploading her vocal stylings to the internet for more than a decade. While she developed a fan base, it was her comedic, viral video about coping as a Black woman in Trump’s America that gained the public’s attention. In the midst of capturing that attention, Chika seized that moment to also remind longtime fans and inform new viewers that she’s really funny.
“I knew people had eyes on me at that time. I didn’t want them to think I was a comedy page. I wanted them to know I’ve been posting music forever. This is what I’m here for. If you like it, stay. And 800,000 people later, here we are,” Chika tells ESSENCE of her viral beginnings.
“Despite any talent anyone thought I had, it was up to me to prove to myself that I wanted to do this, do this,” she explains.
Thank goodness the young star decided to take music seriously because her talent jumps out. It’s why her rap to Kanye West about his “slavery was a choice” comments and Trump support, over his own beat shook the internet.
A letter to Kanye Omari West. Over his own beat. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/5xdxKJ7d4l
— CHIKA 🧚🏾♂️ (@oranicuhh) April 26, 2018
However, don’t put Chika on a pedestal. She doesn’t want that kind of pressure, even though when you look at her, you see an intersectional-minded Black woman poised to save the world.
“I don’t feel the responsibility to be a representative,” she says. “I do understand that I am one and I do have that role just because of the job I have and the visibility. I think if anything, I think I am a representation of what a human should be, apart from my race and gender.”
We see you sis and we hear you. Chika told ESSENCE that she’s clear on what her purpose is, through her talent. “My goal is to change the world and how people think, process emotion and digest music.”
Check out the video for Chika’s full story above.