Candybleakz shares hustle story with Wale
When Weird MC was making the waves as one of the finest Street Pop mavericks in the early 2000s, many
young girls with street-melded childhoods had fewer beacons of inspiration that were the same gender as them.
Across the restive streets of Lagos, Candybleakz, born Blessing Akiode, stepped out with similar dreams with Weird MC, perhaps even brighter. And despite the countless rejections, she found her big break in 2016, after winning a state-sponsored talent show. Fast-forward 2023 and she’s still proof that dreams do come true, being the only female rapper in one of Africa’s most respected record labels Chocolate City.
These life-upending stories, like Candybleakz’, are part of the lifewire of the streets, which history has shown to be an endless haven of raw talent. And they act as periodic foundations of inspiration for acts like Candybleakz, especially in her just-released street-pop jam dubbed, Wale.
In Wale, Candybleakz, also known as Lady Dragon, still sews her native Yoruba lingo into the fabric of her lyricism, telling authentic and relatable stories of life’s endless see-saw of struggles and survival.
As her first release of the year 2023, after asserting her stance the previous year with the release of her debut EP dubbed, Fire, this record is a firm and vibrant return for the Lady Dragon, as it radiates her more melodic, poetic and reflective mien. It’s a personal song that speaks about leaving your comfort zone in search of greener pastures.
A song that communicates and touches on the issues of pain, struggles, emotions to allow listeners to reflect on the journey towards success. With a mid tempo melody and the bare-faced realities of the average indigent Nigerian, Candybleakz shows us why people like Weird MC stood up for her authenticity. And, it is indeed, music that is deep, mood-molding, and, like its creator’s prowess, evergreen.
Wale is out across music streaming services.
Source: The guardian
