In the first shot of the “Harlem” music video, we see a tincture bottle that has the label “African Power”. The song then begins with Mano, who is positioned on the sidewalk with other men. He seems to be talking to those in Africa when he begins to sing; “This is Harlem where you gotta come one day…this is New York, what’s going on is crazy”. This transatlantic message attempts to debunk the conceptions that Africans may have towards African Americans. For example, Africans may believe that most African Americans are lazy when they deal drugs, but Mano shows viewers that youth in Harlem have limited options. “…but my brothers are swept in the guns and the drugs…”. By the end of the song, Mano shows pride in the neighborhood. The subject switches from disputes to dance as Mano states “Harlem stay Harlem, never change”. The song ends as Mano speaks to the camera, saying he feels home in Harlem. This attitude shows listeners from the US and Africa that coming together for the common greater good is vital for Mano’s vision for change.
Mano is finishing up his graduate degree in international affairs while working as a cashier on 125th street. He expects to return to Burkina Faso and continue his cause to “uplift his country”. Mano has recently released his first solo album “Renaissance” where one can find a remade version of “Harlem”. Overall, this is a song that overtly represents Harlem, yet at the same time, it promotes pan African ideals as he subtly reminds African Americans of their ancestral roots.