MP3: Ikey – “Return Of King Jaffe”

Premiered by i-D, the DMV via Lagos, Nigeria Rapper Shares a New Single Loosely Inspired by James Earl Jones

05.11.2015

Critical Praise for Ikey:

“His delivery is cool and calm with a bite… Ikey takes this shit to the next level.” – Pigeons & Planes

“…continuing to impress hip-hop fans all over the globe with his melodic and confident flow.” – Okayplayer

“A bubbling MC you should definitely keep an ear open for” – HipHopWired

The Song:

“We fell instantly in love upon first listen of newcomer Ikey‘s ‘Return of King Jaffe,’” i-D said in their premiere post of the Maryland rapper’s latest single. “Return of King Jaffe” features Ikey’s lyrically aggressive yet uplifting flow above the deep bass reminiscent of ’90s era Drum N Bass records. When asked by i-D if the song was inspired by James Earl Jones’ character King Jaffe in the movie Coming to America, Ikey responded: “It’s kinda dedicated to James Earl Jones. I used to rock a dope fur hat back in the day that kinda looked like the hat James Earl Jones wore in Coming to America. Since I’m African, people used to call me King Jaffe… James Earl Jones is definitely the Gawd tho.”

Ikey released his Green Card EP at the top of the month via Complex, dissecting the American dream with his experiences as a Nigerian-American. “Green Card is a metaphor for anything that leads you to your dreams,” said Ikey, who came up with the idea when he was trying to get one for his mother. “To people in Third World countries, a Greed Card means an escape from a life of poverty an achieving the American Dream. Since everyone is looking for that one come up, I felt like they’d be able to relate to this theme.”

“I’m just a young kid straight out of Lagos,” Ikey says. “When I see people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being sampled on Beyonce records, it makes me feel people want that true African story. I just feel there are a lot of Nigerian-Americans trying to tell that story, and I’m trying to tell it the right way.”

Listen to “Return of King Jaffe”: https://soundcloud.com/i-d-online-1/premiere-ikey-return-of-king-jaffe

Check out the i-D premiere: https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/premiere-ikey-return-of-king-jaffe

Listen to Green Card: https://soundcloud.com/any-means-necessary/sets/green-card-ep/s-IclnV

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Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Ikey.

Ikey Background:

For Ikey, it’s all about the story. Born in New York, with roots in both Spanish Harlem and Lagos, Nigeria, Ike Obioha connected with music at an early age. The diverse palette of his father’s music collection painted a musical canvas that pays homage to everything from Elton John and Journey to the Neville Brothers and Igbo Nigerian highlife singer Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe.

Ikey’s unique, 1.5 generation immigrant experience influenced both the subject matter and creation of his music. Despite pressure to embark upon a more scholarly career, Ikey would ultimately find himself opening for the likes of Big Sean and have his music covered in the Washington City Paper. He balances his penchant for music representing all aspects of the human experience over tracks representative of hip-hop’s golden era while maintaining his unique Nigerian-American identity. “I’m just a young kid straight out of Lagos,” Ikey says. “When I see people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being sampled on Beyonce records, it makes me feel people want that true African story. I just feel there are a lot of Nigerian-Americans trying to tell that story, and I’m trying to tell it the right way.” Ikey’s Green Card EP is out now.