In early October of 2020, Namibia was rocked by surges of domestic violence cases against women, multiple of which tragically ended in death. While the resulting protests in Namibia may have seemed reactionary to the recent murder, rape, and domestic violence cases to the rest of the world, this storm has been brewing for a while. Amid police inaction and the constant looming threat of violence against women and girls, protesters talked about being exhausted at just how persistent and long standing this ugly side of Namibian society has existed. While protesters took to the streets and the steps of various government buildings, Namibian rapper Jericho took his own message to the booth. In the sixth track of his 2020 album The Recovery, titled “As Men We Can” sends a pained message to the male population of his country, pleading them to realize their cultural and societal duties as protectors to the fullest. He touts the responsibility for men to serve as safe havens for the women in their lives, explaining that abuse is no way to love. Jericho then goes on to personally apologize to the women he has hurt in his life, hoping that this prayer through song will be enough to help them realize he has seen the error of his ways. The song is simple in its sincerity and even simpler in its message but the simplicity is not enough to dampen its effectiveness. The rapper establishes himself as a stout ally and pledges through his lyrics to educate those men that look up to him and always go above and beyond for the women in his life. Jericho joins the fight against domestic violence in his own way through this song while also acknowledging his own past with violence against women in a song, no, a message, that will hopefully serve as an anthem for those that march on the streets, hoping for change.
Listen to the full album or the song As Men We Can with the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Mye9ThE4RqJ6Z6ELNhSyw/?sub_confirmation=1