Instagram: @chikalogy
Twitter: @oranicuhh
Jane Chika Oranika, also known as Chika, is a twenty-four-year-old American rapper, model, and songwriter. She was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. Chika is the youngest of three siblings and the daughter of Nigerian immigrant parents who came to the United States with the hopes of attaining a college education.
In March 2021, Chika came out with a song titled “Fairy Tales” with BJ the Chicago Kid. Throughout the song, she takes the time to reflect on her life experiences and includes important aspects of her life, such as her mother and the neighborhood she grew up in. One of the lyrics in the song states “Spin a yarn ‘about candy ladies or ‘about waking up on Saturday, Mama blasting gospel, cleaning’ house, gon’ take ‘about half the day.” Despite being far away from her parents’ home country, Chika remains close to her roots and embraces the religious and cultural aspects that have been passed down throughout generations. Aside from this, she also focuses on social issues such as racism and lack of representation in the media and society. As listeners get halfway through the song, it becomes evident that her focus group is the youth and making a positive impact on that community. In her song, she states “Let’s make a couple hits for all the kids that need a symbol, let’s remind ’em that they matter, the media can chatter, and peer into their lives to form statistics like we data.” In other words, Chika hopes to set an example to others and be an inspiration to those who doubt themselves. She uses her platform to advocate for vulnerable populations; in this case, it has to do with her community. Despite becoming well-known in the hip-hop industry, she remains true to her Nigerian roots and uses her voice to raise awareness of ongoing issues in both the United States and her parents’ home country.
All in all, her use of personal experiences and connecting them to real-world issues is one of the main drivers in her music; it allows her to build a close connection with her target audience.