Namibian rapper Jericho Gawanab recently shared his emotional journey and the inspiration behind his latest album, ‘The Signature’. The artist revealed that the creation of this album was a deeply personal and transformative experience for him.
“The Signature was born out of a period of darkness in Jericho’s life. I was in a dark place when I wrote the album. I was in search of light, transitioning from the toxic to sober habits,” he explained.
He added that one of the most poignant tracks on the album is ‘Leave Me Alone’, originally titled ‘Hope’. Jericho described it as a very personal song, reflecting his feelings of abandonment and betrayal.
“Family members deserted me when I needed them the most. Friends never supported me, and only wanted to be seen with me when they could benefit, but they were not around during my darkest days,” he said.
Jericho’s motivation for the album stemmed from his real-life experiences and struggles.
“I was motivated by everyday situations I was going through at that time of writing. After a three-year hiatus from the music scene, I returned with a renewed sense of authenticity. A lot has changed and happened during
those years. I had to keep it real to my fans through my lyrics, and that’s what I am known for, never faking,” he said.
Jericho further said it is his signature to the music industry, as much as it is a metaphor for manifesting the signing of that big cheque one day. It also speaks to solidifying his signature in the hall of fame in the industry.
He had to look at who was doing what, and who had the right vocals for specific sounds he used for his beats. Apart from that, he made sure he did not lose his hip-hop genre for other featured genres.
“The featured artist is very talented, and was hand-picked by my team and I. I am very impressed and happy, they did a brilliant job on the album. The title track is ‘The Signature’, I love the chemistry with an experienced campaigner like Dice on the track, because we both know what delivery means and what output is expected of us, and the energy worked well,” he added. -priscillamukokobi@gmail.com