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The Hip Hop AfricanA blog and podcast on Hip Hop in Africa Author: Msia Kibona Clark
The podcast is the longest-running podcast on African Hip Hop culture. It features discussions on African Hip Hop music & culture from around the continent and the Diaspora. The podcast is produced in the Department of African Studies at Howard University. You can access the podcast at www.hiphopafrican.com and on all major podcast platforms. Language: en-us Genres: Music, Music Commentary, Music Interviews Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Choosing Joy
Wednesday, 4 February, 2026
Out of all of the songs that I have taken a listen to by JZyNO over the last few days, "Joy", was truly my favorite. This song resonated with me on a personal level as I am sure it does with most of its listeners. This song delivers a powerful and inspiring message about emotional resilience. The song is a call to listeners to rise up in the face of hardship and to be grateful for where there are and not where they think they should be. This powerful message can apply to anyone no matter where they are in life. Somewhere, somehow, everyone always desires more. JZyNO appeals to Liberian society and the broader African diaspora. He encourages his people, our people, to choose joy. This is a choice of resistance. His words are a call-to-action to actively seek joy which is not something that can be taken from someone; joy is an everlasting thing. "Joy" reflects all the hardships our people face: economic uncertainty, personal loss, and social pressure but pushes back against it. It is important to acknowledge the adversity but to not sit in it. Joy's uplifting beat and inspiring lyrics, "The devil keeps fighting, and they can keep hating, but nobody stand in my way," is just the song to jam in your car when you need a pick-me-up. JZyNO encourages his listeners not to ignore the challenges that life throws at them; those are inevitable. The music video of the song is even set with him singing and dancing in a trench like those used in World War II. This motivational anthem reaffirms our right to choose joy and the path that we want to take. This resonated with me well as someone who moves through life always remembering that it is what you make it. Perception is everything; the way that you view a situation determines your feelings towards it. And if you're anything like me, those feelings can determine your mood for the day and impact how you do other things. "Joy" by JZyNO is a reminder to ground oneself.
