Jericho takes a new turn
Rapper Jericho is now part of the Christian hip-hop community with a gospel rap album in the pipeline.
The music industry can be harsh and vindictive. One day you are living in the sanctuary of what seems like a stable situation and the next, you can be in a state of anonymity that leaves you questioning the very structures that brought you up. No one knows this better than Jericho.
After rising to recognition many years ago and being dubbed the godfather of Namibian hip-hop, the 38-year old rapper has dealt with controversy and fought many battles. His sudden and unexplained exclusion from the limelight has generated attention towards his career leaving many wondering about what happened to him. 'Where is Jericho?'and 'Are we ever going to get a music project from Jericho?' are just a few of the questions a lot of music enthusiasts have asked themselves.
With the release of his new song Back to You featuring Son-G, Jericho rises above the whispers and is taking his career in a new direction. He has decided to join the Christian hip-hop community, a subgenre of hip-hop music that is characterised by a Christian worldview.
Speaking to tjil, the veteran rapper announced that his seventh studio album titled God's Son: People Forget, I Don't is 90% done. He shared that it is going to be a gospel album with 14 songs; 11 full songs, an intro, outro and an interlude. “I do not want people to feel sorry for me and I am not doing gospel music to hide in the shadows of God. I come from a very strong Christian family so sharing the gospel through my music is a calling that has been there for years.
“I have been through a lot in my life and I am at a point where I need to make music that allows me to thank God for my life. With this album I want to affirm to people that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel through God and prayer,” added Jericho.
He mentioned that he is not driven by high commercial success to release this album; he just wants to touch people's lives through his music. “God already knows where the album is going to end up. Even if I only transform the lives of two inmates with my story that would be more than enough for me,” he said.
The rapper added that the album is about him owning up to his mistakes and being the voice of people who have fought similar battles. He believes Namibia is going through many disturbing social ills that he can address through music. “I am soliciting for funds to go on a national tour. I want to visit schools and correctional facilities to talk to boys and men about the dangers of street life. I want to use my story to inspire them to make sound decisions in life and do the right thing,” he shared.
You would assume the pressure is intense for someone in his position compared to a new artist. Having released music of a certain quality and now the resources and support are not necessarily what they were but the expectations from his fans remains high. Asked if he feels that he has something to prove now that he is crafting his comeback, Jericho said: “I do not feel pressured at all. I am not releasing this album because I have to, this is God doing his job through me.
“I am not perfect but neither is everyone else. People have high expectations of me, which is okay, but they must not be too quick to judge a person because at the end of the day we all have flaws,” he said.
Besides the album, he shared that his musical plans for the rest of the year include being involved in the conceptualisation of his music videos. He conceptualised the Back to You music video and added that he wants to continue doing so with the rest of his visuals. “I was very involved in conceptualising my latest music video and I liked how it came out. I am going to be doing more of that because it is an extension of my creativity,” he said.
On collaboration, Jericho said that he recently teamed up with the Namibia Gospel United group for a collaborative song with other gospel artists. “I am really proud and honoured to be a part of Namibia Gospel United. We recorded a song and shot a music video for it which will be premiered at Ster Kinekor Cinema 5 at Grove Mall of Friday, 3 May.
“In the meantime my fans in Karibib can catch me at Usab Night Club on Friday, 26 April. It's a dance battle show,” shared Jericho.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
After rising to recognition many years ago and being dubbed the godfather of Namibian hip-hop, the 38-year old rapper has dealt with controversy and fought many battles. His sudden and unexplained exclusion from the limelight has generated attention towards his career leaving many wondering about what happened to him. 'Where is Jericho?'and 'Are we ever going to get a music project from Jericho?' are just a few of the questions a lot of music enthusiasts have asked themselves.
With the release of his new song Back to You featuring Son-G, Jericho rises above the whispers and is taking his career in a new direction. He has decided to join the Christian hip-hop community, a subgenre of hip-hop music that is characterised by a Christian worldview.
Speaking to tjil, the veteran rapper announced that his seventh studio album titled God's Son: People Forget, I Don't is 90% done. He shared that it is going to be a gospel album with 14 songs; 11 full songs, an intro, outro and an interlude. “I do not want people to feel sorry for me and I am not doing gospel music to hide in the shadows of God. I come from a very strong Christian family so sharing the gospel through my music is a calling that has been there for years.
“I have been through a lot in my life and I am at a point where I need to make music that allows me to thank God for my life. With this album I want to affirm to people that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel through God and prayer,” added Jericho.
He mentioned that he is not driven by high commercial success to release this album; he just wants to touch people's lives through his music. “God already knows where the album is going to end up. Even if I only transform the lives of two inmates with my story that would be more than enough for me,” he said.
The rapper added that the album is about him owning up to his mistakes and being the voice of people who have fought similar battles. He believes Namibia is going through many disturbing social ills that he can address through music. “I am soliciting for funds to go on a national tour. I want to visit schools and correctional facilities to talk to boys and men about the dangers of street life. I want to use my story to inspire them to make sound decisions in life and do the right thing,” he shared.
You would assume the pressure is intense for someone in his position compared to a new artist. Having released music of a certain quality and now the resources and support are not necessarily what they were but the expectations from his fans remains high. Asked if he feels that he has something to prove now that he is crafting his comeback, Jericho said: “I do not feel pressured at all. I am not releasing this album because I have to, this is God doing his job through me.
“I am not perfect but neither is everyone else. People have high expectations of me, which is okay, but they must not be too quick to judge a person because at the end of the day we all have flaws,” he said.
Besides the album, he shared that his musical plans for the rest of the year include being involved in the conceptualisation of his music videos. He conceptualised the Back to You music video and added that he wants to continue doing so with the rest of his visuals. “I was very involved in conceptualising my latest music video and I liked how it came out. I am going to be doing more of that because it is an extension of my creativity,” he said.
On collaboration, Jericho said that he recently teamed up with the Namibia Gospel United group for a collaborative song with other gospel artists. “I am really proud and honoured to be a part of Namibia Gospel United. We recorded a song and shot a music video for it which will be premiered at Ster Kinekor Cinema 5 at Grove Mall of Friday, 3 May.
“In the meantime my fans in Karibib can catch me at Usab Night Club on Friday, 26 April. It's a dance battle show,” shared Jericho.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article