In a mesmerizing collaboration, hip-hop icon Coely unveiled the video for Fruit Of Bantu, featuring the prodigious 18-year-old Rapper/Poet, Shaka Shams, hailing from Antwerp with South African roots. Directed by the visionary Pieter Vercammen, the artistic black and white visuals serve as an ideal companion to this relentless rap banger. The song’s raw energy and lyrical prowess blend seamlessly with the captivating imagery, transporting viewers into a realm of artistic brilliance. Coely’s empowering presence and Shaka Shams’ young prodigy talents unite, creating a captivating masterpiece that celebrates the essence of hip-hop’s creative force.
As Coely talks about Fruit of Bantu: “Fruit of Bantu was one of the hardest songs to write because it is hella personal. It took me a while to write this song, without letting the hurt that comes with it take over. Being black means that you always carry a load of bad experiences with you, going from what our ancestors have been through and the stories we were told while growing up, to all of the difficulties and negative experiences we went through ourselves. I did not want the pain to take over in this song. I wanted to highlight my strength, positivity, and pride. Talking about this will always come off as a bit provocative, but that’s in the ear of the beholder. At the end of the day, I am unapologetically black and very proud of it. I invited Shaka on this track and shot a video with some dear friends of mine because even though we’re all different, we go through a lot of similar struggles and we all need an anthem like this to step to. The song talks about family, body image, searching for identity and a way to belong, etc… Creating this song went along with long conversations, it was in many ways therapeutic and I’m happy about that, we all need ways to heal.“
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