Yeezy’s getting lots of love from his peers these days and that’s a beautiful thing…now Jay Electronica Defends Kanye West In Nigeria calling him “a Black God” and saying what?
OK, so Jay Electronica Defends Kanye West In Nigeria while being in the West African country for a number of reasons. For one, he just wrapped his latest tour across Europe/China and is obviously feeling his ‘world traveler vibe’ as he continues rounds of press. Vibe also reports the visit is representational of his new “mission” on the African continent, and caught up with The Beat 99’s “The Morning Show” with Olisa and Maria to talk about what him, Yeezus and Hip Hop have to do with it.
For starters Jay Electronica Defends Kanye West In Nigeria and in fact did call him “a Black God,” anchoring it in some sound purpose and wisdom. The general feel around his moves is in ‘bridging the gaps’—in the culture but starting with himself:
“Like any black man in America, I was disconnected from myself and from my family and that’s why I’m here in Nigeria, to reconnect with my family. I’ve been disconnected for a long time, so more importantly than the music that’s the main reason why I’m here. The music is secondary.”
…that’s peace, especially since that disconnect is the case for many. While Ye was just named in Time’s 100 Most Influential People list, many continue to discount his work and discourage any good news about him. Jay has countered the noise by staying true-to-form and reflecting his principles via The Nation of Gods and Earths (aka The Five-Percent Nation). Jay Electronica Defends Kanye West In Nigeria by praising what he knows for sure, highlighting spirit over ego, and reminding us to think critically about the pictures getting painted:
“Kanye is a Black God and we love him. Kanye’s a beautiful brother. We gotta be careful about anything that we hear. You know the white man, the media, they say nasty things about Nigeria but we just throw that in the trashcan just like we throw the Kanye big head stuff in the trashcan. We all got our faults and character defects but as far as Kanye, as far as I know, he’s a beautiful human being. A very beautiful brother. Physically, spiritually and emotionally. We love him. I love him to bits.”
…that’s some #realtalk though. Whether you agree with his views or not, you can’t deny that negative/inaccurate/ignorant assumptions of anything Africa-related have been a norm for, well, centuries to this day. That same energy has a parallel to much of Hip Hop culture and our black and brown communities. It was a little while back Nicki Minaj called Kanye “The King”–specifically for the selfless* and positive things he’s done for artists with no regard to his benefit…so Jay Elect still has a great point. Big ups to Hip Hop supporting each other in positive ways.
Read more excerpts here or listen to the full interview below, where he talks Fela Kuti, a Wale mixtape collab and more!
