500 years the “Monsters YOU Made”…
…We can’t go back!
As we approach yet another phase of this interesting year and change to all our lives; that month, yes that month where we are told to celebrate our blackness, as it approaches like clockwork once again!
Ha!
Did you not know that as a people we never celebrated ourselves on “a” month. We have always celebrated our oneness & splendour, you just thought we liked playing the game.
For +500 years, for decades, for centuries you controlled and pulled those strings like a puppet master, but this puppet shall not have their strings pulled, the “puppet” like Pinocchio is a real boy and he’s free.
Free to be, but that freedom comes with lines of scares from the impression you marked for over 500 years so there’s no way we can just ever “be”, we are a new generation of Kings & Queens and this time it shall be televised.
With the launch of ‘Twice As Tall’ album by Burna Boy still fresh in the air, still hitting the charts, the hearts and airwaves across the globe, people are still talking and murmuring on which is their favourite song, which resonates, what and where was Burna’s mind for this album…
I for one will take a pause, to stop and say sorry.
SORRY because when I first heard the album I was like ok cool… ok cool!
I wasn’t “looking” for anything (or so I thought!) because I realise now that I clearly was.
If I wasn’t “looking” for anything then I would not have missed the messages, the waves, the sounds, THE MESSAGE!
As I listened to ‘Monsters You Made’ from the Twice As Tall album, honestly I wasn’t really feeling it.
I labelled it “not for me” and after a minute of forceful listening, I pressed skip!
Now fast forward to this week, the week of the visuals. Those visuals, that video, that story to Monsters You Made. Hmmm, those visuals which Meji, layed down. That talented creative Meji, he did it again 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾.
Meji honestly never stops giving and he simply gets it right.
The visuals played for Monsters You Made held me in; it captivated and convicted me, as it narrated the story which I found myself listening to as I paid attention and listen to the full work of why it is ‘Monsters You Made’.
It left me in royal awe and apology for not giving it a try from before but thanks to the unity of African creatives as great as Meji, they asked me the question with this visual narration, played before my eyes “hey Sakeena, do you hear it now?”
I stand in solidarity with all my people always have and always will, regardless of its “my jam” or not, because talent is talent, art is an art and my people are real.
It takes a village, and in my village, there are many creatives who are overlooked for their art, their inspiration, their girth for the love that being overlooked is not allowed in my camp and these creatives (all big or small), deserve their honour and recognition.
They may not hold the mic but their brush is explosive.
So to all my fellow creatives Thank You. I salute you Meji and all our talented creatives. #UnityRules #KeepDoingYou #SupportTheCulture #ILoveYou
Watch The Official Video
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500 years the “Monsters YOU Made”…
