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Johannesburg – International rapper Jidenna paid a visit to the shores of South Africa to promote his (yet to be released) debut album Long Live The Chief. While here, The Juice was able to sneak in an interview with the Grammy nominated star.
We spoke about his style, and about the local musos he likes, but at the end of the interview the rapper asked us to turn our recorder back on to share something important with South Africans.
In a message that touched everybody in the room, Jidenna opened up about elders in South Africa who have humbled themselves before him. The artist spoke firmly saying, "It really hurts me. I’m a young man, no elder should ever bow to me. I bow to them."
He added that South Africans need to stop being so modest, a point that the singer/rapper says Hugh Masekela agrees on. "I want to see the culture here continue to grow, but grow in a way that does not have so much modesty and bowing to other people that you may look at as your coloniser. That’s never gonna get you anywhere as a country, Masekela agrees with me, and I’m sure other people agree as well."
The star begged elders to stop bowing before him, and also asked that the youth rather show this sort of respect to the people who are older and wiser than they are. "So I say this to everyone, please don’t bow to me if you’re an elder. And if you’re a young person, bow to your elders."
Listen to Jidenna’s full message to the people of South Africa below:
