Afrikaans rapper Ike Jericho Adonis, whose stage name is Ixa, says there is more to hip-hop than just drugs, parties, naked women, flashy cars and money.
Instead he wants to use his music for activism and speaking out against inequality and social ills.
The rapper recently shot the music video for his pending single ‘My Mense’, which drops in a few weeks.
He says he’s not usually an oke who follows trends but the global Covid-19 pandemic has prompted him to share his motivation about being vaccinated with supporters and fans.
“I want to show my supporters why I took the vaccine, because I’ve seen what a sensitive topic it is on social media – that many do not believe in the vaccine,” he says.
Not new to fame, Ixa has had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with South African Afrikaaps literary giant, poet, actor and now television presenter HemelBesem. The two collaborated on an Afrikaans project in the Netherlands.
“In 2019 I also did a collaboration with Vaughn Ahrens for the theme song of the Namibian production #LANDoftheBRAVEfilm,” he says.
“Essentially, I believe in working on my own steam. Many have reached out to me for collaborations but I am picky about with whom I work. Not everyone has good intentions.”
He regards himself as one of the most important Namibian rappers from the “brown people” and he hopes to grow into a symbol of change and hope for his fans, supporters and community.
Ixa was born and raised in the predominantly Coloured neighbourhood of Narraville, under often-harsh conditions in a location called Honger Laagte. However, Ixa says his life lessons while growing up matched his challenges.
“I try to inspire people to realise you can have the world as your oyster, regardless of your circumstances. I am a living proof of that because all my tracks and songs speak about the true stories of my life, about how difficult my childhood was and where I made it to, today. Many can relate, that is why I call my music Hip-Hoop.”
He says fans have found his music to be almost like a spiritual awakening, especially those facing multiple challenges.
Ixa, who has been blessed with paid gigs for six years now, is convinced that Afrikaans rap definitely has a market in Namibia. He believes one does not need music awards or to release albums to win over fans.
He was the first Namibian to perform at the popular Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) at Oudtshoorn, South Africa, and was part of a cypher on DJ Ready D’s show on Good Hope FM in Cape Town.
– unWrap.online
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