Lila Iké Talks Buying Black As Means Of Fighting Racial Injustice

Reggae songbird, Lila Iké, says the recent happenings in the United States has made her more militant in her desire to support black-owned businesses.

Lila Iké who recently dropped her EP The ExPerience said in a lengthy Instagram Live video which she named, “Random Reasonings”, that the death of 46-year-old George Floyd at the hands of US police, forced her to undertake some deep research.

The Solitude hitmaker told fans that it was important for everyone to play their part in the fight against racial discrimination.

“It is rough, me just find myself reading a whole heap of things and a pree a whole heap of likkle documentaries,” said Iké as she shared about recently learning of the Kalief Browder case that made her feel extremely sad.

Browder was a young African American man from New York who was held at the Rikers Island prison without a trial for allegedly stealing a backpack. When Browder was unable to make bail he was held in solitary confinement for two years.  After his release, he committed suicide at age 22.

“Learning all of them things deh, a lot of things that me never did realize seh me never did know… is like me a seh di man did definitely out fi wi throat and they still are,” added Lila.

The artiste went on to share that capitalism was one of the major tools used to maintain the system which is built on the oppression of people of African descent.

Iké said that one of the ways she would help to fight racial discrimination was by spending her money with those in her community. ” Me deh pon straight just a support black – a black me a support right now; me want some black designer, me wah buy some shoes from some black people weh a make it. Me want to spend my money within my community,” said the artiste.

“Start to support your one another and stop buying into the trends and the things they put on your TV,” she added.

Lila also used the opportunity to say that the recent events had given her a deeper appreciation for reggae musicians like Chronixx and Protoje who as part of the new age roots revival movement have built careers on promoting socially conscious music.

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