Askia is known for turning water into wine musically if you know what that means. Her journey to being what many might consider as one of the best in Cameroon as far as rap music is concerned did not happen overnight. She worked her butt off and did not give up,despite the challenges and reasons she had to give up. Every strong woman has a story and all of them might be similar but the pain of surviving it is never the same. There is no need to write many lines about how much pain and how many challenges she’s been through in her career but her life is an inspiration to many young girls out there from overcoming drug addiction, putting a flag on the dark side of when she was molested as a kid and being her own motivation right now. Now, Askia has trained herself to not submit to pressure from anyone and this has been good for her career. The crazy thing about social media is that sometimes support comes with bullying. However, most people only aim at an artist or public figure when they discover that the artist or public figure is abandoning a part of them that was once feared. They will test you to see if you truly abandoned that other side of you. Matrimonial responsibility has changed Askia, but she will go after anyone who steps in her space and that is great for her peace and more, but it is very important to also understand that the media will always be the media. There are people who will always come for you with negative energy no matter how good you are and artists must understand this.
If branded and packaged the right way and if supported with the right energy, Askia can potentially be one of the best in Africa, as far as female emcees are concerned. Remember that her country Cameroon cannot boast of one yet. When it comes to talent, hardcore rap with rhymes and meaningful touchy bars, Askia has got it! But when you go out of her comfort zone of rap music, the storyline is not the same. Are Cameroonians’s really proud about that? Askia’s past encounters which have led to her burning bridges with stakeholders in the industry and her “tell it like it is” or her “ready to fight for my right” mentality, may have rubbed people the wrong way. It’s true that she’s still a work in progress but the the truth too is that, she needs her fellow Cameroonian’s to support her, and this support means that she should not be allowed to just show up in anyway she desires, as she is now at that point where all eyes are on her and are watching her every move. Therefore, she needs to act accordingly!
As an industry, we want the best for her. Her talent deserves global awards. In the midst of other female rappers like Yung Meagan and Mihney, to name a few, more attention seems to be thrown onto Askia and that means she can lead this folk. She established the #GetTheBagSeries which featured mostly female artists. She also initiated a short lived #GetTheBagConcert. These are steps she took which should prove to you that if she puts her mind to it, Askia can take us places.
At this point in her career, Askia is at a level where she needs to pay attention to details because she is that rapper her fellow Cameroonian’ seem to be trusting the female hip-hop industry to. It’s no longer a matter of ‘if she wants to’ as it is a mantle she has proven on several occasions that she can carry. Deep down, Cameroonian are rooting for Askia and want to see her succeed and that means her talent must be protected and she should be put in the right frame of mind that her talent demands. Afterall, she carries the mantle and that means much more.
If you doubt this, listen to “Addiction” by Askia in the link below:
