CHIKA says "big brother" Stevie Wonder makes her feel seen and understood in the industry
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CHIKA has the shoulder of an icon to lean on when turbulent times arise in her life and budding music career. In a new feature story, the wordsmith opens up about the inspiration behind her debut album, SAMSON: THE ALBUM, which was released on Friday (July 28), and how her collaboration with the incomparable legend Stevie Wonder came to fruition.
Speaking of a person to turn to, the 25-time Grammy Award winner is one of the people who CHIKA can depend on when she needs to course-correct. “Stevie would call me. Stevie is so chaotic. I love him so much. He calls himself my big brother,” she recently told Rolling Stone.
The “My Power” lyricist has endured a series of social media blunders after sharing concerning tweets and emotional rants amid her mental health struggles. While CHIKA told the outlet she takes accountability for her words, she also noted that the public oftentimes blows her moments of hyperbole out of proportion, sometimes resulting in what she referred to as an assassination of her character. It is in moments like those that the Motown Records legend has been a source of wisdom.
“He calls me and tells me about all of his chaotic stories from the past. But also, he’ll check me when necessary,” she said. “When you have an icon like Stevie Wonder tell you, ‘Hey, girl, get off the internet real quick,’ I don’t give a f**k about what Instagram and Twitter are talking about ’cause they don’t know me like he does.”
CHIKA continued to explain that she has “been able to cry to him. This is someone who is one of our last living legends. I am more than blessed to have made his acquaintance … I feel understood and seen by someone who had it far worse when it comes to industry s**t.”
Wonder and his signature harmonica make an appearance on her new album on a track titled “Get Here.” The two artists first connected when she was featured on his 2020 record “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate” alongside Rapsody, Cordae, and Busta Rhymes. SAMSON also features Freddie Gibbs, Snoop Dogg, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
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