Okirike
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Okirike

Savannah, Georgia, United States

Savannah, Georgia, United States
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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Still working on that hot first release.

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Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

My Autobiography

I am Okirike. It’s both my first and my last name. It’s a name that marks my destiny. It’s a name that tells my story. I was born in Nigeria in a town called Ututu. I am the first born son of a man who is considered a legend in our hometown. The village comes to life in his presence. They rejoice at the mention of his name. His story and mine are one. Our journey is one.
My father lost both of his parents as a child. His father was a man so beloved he was regarded as a king. Crowds gathered to hear him sing. He died and left behind a young child, my father, to fend for himself. My father was only four, an orphan whom most believed would not survive. But God had a plan for this child---this miracle child. A child who overcame all odds to become the wonder of a town in Nigeria. He then married and had a son of his own. I am that son.
When the Europeans colonized Nigeria and brought with them Catholicism, the ceremony of baptism gave my parents a second name, or last name, to share in marriage. That name was Okirike. Still it was Ututu custom that the first born son of a man be named after that mans father. As a result I am named Okirike Okirike, but it’s ok, you don’t have to say it twice. My name means strength and is symbolized by a tree with thorns. When I was three my father brought our family to America. The man who grew up an orphan had accomplished something most people in our town only dream of.
I grew up in Savannah GA. I fell in love with music at a young age. The talent for it was in my blood. Growing up I stood out amongst my peers. It was obvious to those around me that I was different. Having a name like Okirike didn’t help. My parents put the knowledge of God’s love in me. Stories of my father’s greatness left me bewildered at the prospect of having to one day fill such big shoes. He had accomplished so much. My struggle to find my own identity led me to the streets and then to jail facing possible deportation. God’s mercy spared me and gave me a new perspective on life and a new hunger to discover His purpose for me. His revelation led me back to my roots and back to my family.
As I sit and my father tells me his story and the story of his father before him I begin to see a destiny greater than myself. I begin to see a plan so intricate and full of miracles that only God Himself could have devised it. I see a story so wondrous that it spans at least 3 generations so far.
As a rapper I was struggling to be heard in an overcrowded arena. I became frustrated and would contemplate giving up music and focusing on something more stable than this pipe dream that seemed to be getting me nowhere fast. However, on a trip back from Miami FL, at around 5 O’clock am a Spirit suggested to me that I try something completely different. It told me to step out of the box that I had created for myself. By the time I stopped for gas I had been given a chorus. I rushed home and quickly built an instrumental around the chorus and lyrics filled the spaces in between. As I listened to the finished product I was amazed at the Biblical parallels that I heard in the lyrics. I asked myself how lyrics that flowed so effortlessly and without thought could be so intricate. I give the credit to divine inspiration. On that night I was given a gift. I played the song for my Father and he gave me what sons desire most from their father…his approval.
The next chapter in our story remains to be written. I approach it with optimism and the expectation of greater things to come. Although a town in Nigeria awaits my return I feel that I have unfinished business here. I have an entire world to inspire. I have a story to tell, and a voice that needs to be heard. I have a destiny to fulfill. I am Okirike.