“Made It” is the second single release off Akua Naru’s third and forthcoming studio album ‘The Blackest Joy’ (out Apr 27, 2018). The song, featuring Grammy Nominated soul veteran Eric Benét, is a celebratory and nostalgic blend of hip-hop and soul. It speaks of triumph through tribulation and the arrival of power and joy through struggle, an assessment of where we have been and hopeful vision for where we are going.
“The poet Kelly Elaine Navies wrote it best, “like the banjo, I was stolen from Africa–but the middle passage did not break my strings, nor did it destroy my song.” This song is for us, the living; we stay making it,” says Akua Naru
Filmed in Lomé, Togo, West Africa and directed by LA-based artist Joachim Zunke/Produced by Jahëna Lousin & Togolese Rapper Elom 20ce, the video, the second in the series following the visually stunning ‘My Mother’s Daughter’, is an ode to black joy and an aesthetic homage to the power of the human spirit in its strength to overcome.
With classic boom bap hip hop sounds, socially conscious rhymes, jazz-soul elements, Naru has garnered attention and accumulated rave reviews. Being associated with artist movements such as the 90’s hip hop era and acts such as Lauryn Hill & The Roots, Naru’s musical and poetic gifts have been appreciated among hip-hop circles and are amplified within live performance. Representing strongly when performing with The DIGFLO Band, a six-piece ensemble including drums, keys, saxophone/flute, bass, guitar, and turntables, Akua Naru and her band have a reputation for captivating audiences, hyping crowds, and inspiring many. Clearly, her music and performances are a testament to the legacy of soul music and the powerful trailblazing female artist tradition on which it builds.
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