Like most of us, Alabama native CHIKA spent the early morning of April 20 listening to J. Cole’s surprise album, KOD. One song in particular, “1985 (Intro To ‘The Fall Off’),” — in which Cole lectures an unnamed rapper — affected CHIKA to the point that she felt compelled to respond with a verse of her own. She shared the video to her Twitter followers and within about 24 hours, it had amassed around 1.2 million views.
“I was happy … I’m someone who likes to slave over their words,” CHIKA tells HipHopDX about the success of her post. “I like to make sure that the songs I put out have a message and some sort of impact to them. As someone trying to break into the industry, I find it disheartening to see cats rhyme cat in the hat and sit around with million-dollar deals.”
“‘1985’ re-inspired a little bit of hope into me,” she continues. “Somebody still gives a fuck about it … somebody still cares about the impact of what they’re saying to the culture. It was something that made me extremely excited, and I had to respond to it.”
“I’m 21 — I was an 18-year-old rapper, and I wasn’t saying dumb shit or putting out trash music,” she notes. “The argument that we need to let these people grow is tired, old, and detrimental to the culture. I think we need to be better gatekeepers of this art that was created as a way to express ourselves when nobody would hear us.”
Although she has a lot of attention on her right now, she isn’t rushing to put anything out. “I have a single that should be dropping soon,” she says, adding that she recently just moved to New York and is working on a poetry book.
CHIKA explains that she had a feeling the video would do well, noting that she’d had a few viral videos in the past. However, this surpassed anything she could have imagined. The response has been phenomenal, with industry figures reaching out, although she’s reluctant to share any specifics just yet.
Still, she is speaking success into existence — the tweet pinned to her profile says it all.
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Respect
Respect. Mumble Rappers are 90% Black or Latinos but she found away to make it about white people. Thats what I call creative.
Did you listen to Coles 1985?
There is also white mumble rappers. More whities than latinos
Who the fuck is this?
SOmebody keeping the culture alive, while you and your homies diminish the art form and ride around in your 94 Camry’s sippin lean
You Bout to find out ?
Man that shit was dope
Lol you guys will post anything
Pipe down child. This shit is relevant af to the culture. It’s dope to see this young lady taking the content she puts out seriously. Props to her and props to Riley and DX for holding down the culture.
The fact that these people think there needs to be “gatekeepers” is damaging to the culture. The free for all is what makes hip hop fun. I surely would be bored if we didn’t have ‘mumble rap.’ No one wants to give these guys credit that there is genuine creative that drives the sound.
bored if we didnt have mumble rap ? really ? mumbe rap is nothing but trash period !
no you’d be listening to Taylor Swift like you used to before these retards got in the game…that mumble shit sucks…
I understand what you’re saying. For every Eric B. & Rakim, you had a Kid n Play. For every Public Enemy and N.W.A., you had a Digital Underground. For every Outkast you had a Ying Yang Twinz. It’s needed to maintain balance.
Free for all? where do you see that? I see cookie cutter replicas of whatever is hot. It’s impossible that you see any balance in what’s pushed on us as far as hiphop today. Hiphop sold its soul for recognition “like the white artists got” way back in the 90’s…now hiphop has it and is just blended in with all the other pop shit. Hiphop was special, but the reaction to perceived “racism” got the community all fucked up and wishing for something it really didn’t want. White people didn’t want their kids inspired by “pushers, gangstas, and thugs”…understandable imo, but that was hiphop and those people just weren’t a part of it. Why the fuck did hiphop care what white suburbanites thought about its music? Just cuz they were white and didn’t like it? Now its just corporate america pushing out fabricated rappers who “look” how they’re supposed to “look.”
Well-said SMH!!
Hiphop has gotten so boring. Where’s the punk spirit at? Chuck D rebel without a pause? That RZA with the fangs ish?
she’s sick bruh. hope she gets noticed
CHIKA killed it. She dope, i swear they alot of lowkey rappers
Man this young woman got more skills than 95% of thees clown ass dudes in the game now. Wishing her abundant blessings the world can learn a lot for this lady. HUGE
Okay, I definitely can’t stand listening to female rappers. I know it’s bad to say and not fair. I just don’t. Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, or whoever else. Can’t really get into it.
That being said, this girl’s verse was awesome! Absolute fire. I hope she makes it!
Why’s her hairline attached to her eyebrows? Yeah, fuck whites who support our music though
After that great message in song all you are concerned about is her hair? What are you a hair stylists? GTFOH. Typical.
I know that some people have short attention spans, so you might have missed the second sentence where the real criticism was (TLDR: fuck identity politics; cultural appropriation is a joke). White people want to feel black? How about treating people as individuals instead of mass labeling entire groups who contribute to the culture. You know, like you were woke or some shit.
She can spit. I’ll give her props. We need a variety of female rappers instead of the usual harlet or slut stereotypical ones.
Stick to the buffet momma you know its hard out here for a pimp…
How dare you. She’s talented. Who cares how she looks. That’s the problem with our people. White audience’s didn’t feel that way about Adelle, and look at her now.
People in our community should try helping a little more instead of hating. My first time hearing this girl; shes dope. Your favorite rapper would last on a track with her. SALUTE QUEEN. Whenever you drop I’m copping. Songwriter to songwriter, FUCK THE HATE/KEEP GRINDING.
Amen. I couldn’t have said it better. Black Women..Stand Up and Say It. To Be Young, Gifted and Black. I am 66, but you know what I mean.
She should ghostwrite and rap for Nicki or Cardi. Or lose 200 pounds so someone wants to make her a star. Either way.
Ghostwriter? She’s already a star without your diet plan. People come in different shapes and sizes. Why do we all have to fit into Hollywood’s perception of what beauty is? Then when we all look the same, you say “We need something different they all look alike. Swagger jacking has become the norm. We need diversity within hip hop.
.. who? I wish her well, but I doubt anybody has heard of this girl.
She’s Dope
She’s got bigger balls than Lil’ Penis Pump! At least her dis could is deserving of a response unlike this clown that looks like some burnt out juggalo reject
Damn that girl can rhyme! She is dope defo gonna check for her music!