Fresh off of the release of his debut album, Canadian-Nigerian artist Shopé presents the lively new music video for his single, ‘Rikiki’, the focus track from his album of the same name.
Raised in humble beginnings, Shopé lived the first decade of his life in Lagos, Nigeria before immigrating to Toronto with his family to seek out greener pastures. Shopé embraced his new home and all it had to offer but at the expense of his original culture and heritage.
“I spent many years ignoring my Afrianness at best, and downplaying it at worst. As I matured, some things started to shift my perspective, one of which was coming to witness the disadvantages of people of colour in the western world. In 2013 I visited Nigeria for the first time since leaving in 2000. Leading up to that, I had already been having convictions of re-connecting to my roots. Those convictions continually grew stronger, finally solidifying during that 2013 visit. I knew I had to find my way back home and somehow connect it to my Toronto identity. It took some more time to establish that connection, but now 7 years later, the signals are clear. As I continue to dive deeper into synchronizing both sides of my cultural identity, my strength and confidence grow. My heart for Africa grows by the day, without diminishing my love for Canada, a country that embraced my family and has afforded us many opportunities.”
Having embraced his identity in full, Shopé now seeks to spread a message of peace, love and acceptance to all, hoping that he can be a shining example for Africans in the diaspora and immigrants across the world. ‘Rikiki’ is, therefore, an anthem of praise and a song of celebration, giving thanks for who you are and all you’ve endured - the good, the bad and the ugly.
“RIKIKI is my contribution to bridging my western identity with the motherland. It is a project for those in the African diaspora. Although a self-coined term, the song (and eponymously titled EP) is an expression of a fierce, deep-rooted confidence that took me so long to develop. Simply put, "Rikiki" is meant to communicate confidence, courage, boldness...not caring what others are doing/thinking/saying about you. Simply being strong enough to be you.”
Directed by Dukez, the music video for ‘Rikiki’ is a vibrant and colourful Afro-fusion ode to Shopé’s motherland of Africa bursting with positive energy and contagious beats. Having undergone a long, hard process of metamorphosis, the ‘Rikiki’ video sees Shopé finally fly free and spread his wings, unashamedly affirming himself as a proud Nigerian child, adopted by Toronto.
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