Avit – ‘Why Hate Me’

In 2020 the decentralized political movement Black Lives Matter grew turned to a global force. Protests erupted in all major cities of the world. In order to give musical impetus to the movement, Ghanaian rising Afrofusion artist Avit (‘Election Day‘) dropped ‘Why Hate Me‘. In the Kuvie produced piece, he points to historical and present forms of racism and confronts racist haters directly with one of the core questions: “Why you gotta hate me so much?“

The video starts with an excerpt from an interview with famous Ghanaian playwright, poet and novelist Ama Ata Aidoo, who is also featured in Burna Boy’s ‘Monsters You Made ‘. In the interview she says: “Since we met you people 500 years ago, look at us, we’ve given everything, you’re still taking. It’s true. Where would the whole Western world be without Africa?” Avit points to the same injustice in his lyrics and takes the unjust global gold market on as an example:

“Go check the history, ever since they pulled up on our shores
More than 400 years we still no get no reward
Dem just dey give and take and take!
Dem just dey give and take and take!
And they still taking
Bias policy, yeah dem still making
Interest on our gold reserves you know dem still raking”

In his lyrics, Avit illustrates how the historically grown system of racism still commits violence in our present time, for example through police brutality. He makes reference to Amadou Diallo, who was killed by four New York Police officers in an apartment building on Feb. 4th 1999. He also mentions Michael Brown, who was shot by a Police Office in Ferguson on Aug. 9th 2014:

“But we survived, slave trade, jim crow, 41 shots walked free when they shot Diallo
Gunned down Michael Brown, jury said leave him alone”

Avit confronts persons with racist attitudes in the track (“I never understand it, why you just hate my skin/ Is it the way you were raised. I am just wondering“), but he addresses also all Black persons and encourages them to join the fight against racism. It’s a moving dedication to the Black Lives Matter movement and calls everyone to take part in it:

“So to all black man you know it’s not time for pleasing
Can’t sit down watch them kill my brother for no reason
It’s time to reason, Its time to reason
Let’s all unite
From every corner let us join the fight“

‘Why Hate Me‘ was released by Akwaaba on his debut EP ‘Election Day‘ and is available on all platforms.