Afrobeat sensation Ikuforiji Olaitan, popularly known as Oxlade, has shared his harrowing experience of facing racial abuse in France, an event that shaped the title of his debut album, Oxlade From Africa.
In a recent interview on the Datebizz podcast, the singer recounted the traumatic encounter in Monaco, which opened his eyes to the harsh realities of African stigma.
“I named my album Oxlade From Africa because I was racially abused in France, specifically in Monaco,” Oxlade revealed. He went on to explain how the incident transformed his understanding of how Africans are viewed abroad compared to at home.
“That experience woke me up to my African identity. In Africa, we see ourselves as normal human beings, but outside, they [foreigners] see us as monkeys, strange beings,” he said.
Oxlade also highlighted how the names Africa and Nigeria are often used with negative connotations globally, further emphasizing the need for Africans to own and uplift their identity.
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