Hear JJC's Original And Global Remixes Of 'We Are African'

Before you scroll down to check JJC’s ‘We Are African’ videos – I kick off with my favourite, which is the “demo” or “sneak” version released way before the official and the remix versions were posted online – please read about artist, writer, producer JJC and his brilliant, conscious, head-nodding ‘We Are Africans’ track.

Kwaku Aobq

Edited by Kwaku from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JJC

JJC (Abdul Bello) a.k.a Skillz, is best known in the UK as the producer and creator of the multi-platinum and award winning group Big Brovaz. He has also worked with the likes of Jamelia, Lemar, Jennifer Lopez, Liberty X and Genuwine.

JJC (is short for Johnny Just Come – an Anglophone West African term for a recent arrival, especially naïve newcomers) is the stage name for Abdul Rasheed Bello, a Nigerian rapper and record producer. He was born on April 4 1977 in Kano, Nigeria.

JJC is established as one of the leading African hip-hop artists, and is the creator of the Afropean sound and the man behind artists such as D´Banj (most selling artist in Africa 2006, 2007, 2008), the 419 Squad, Weird MC, Olu Maintain. He has together with his group the 419 Squad won numerous awards including: the 'Best African Group' category at the 2004's KORA All Africa Music Awards (the pan-African equivalent of the Grammy Awards).

JJC & 419 Squad are probably the only act to have been guests on Tim Westwood's BBC Radio 1 Rap Show and Charlie Gillett's BBC London World music show. JJC was previously a BBC 1Xtra radio DJ (African Vibes) and has also presented a number of other one-off BBC radio programmes as well as a one-off special on France's No.1 taste-making station Radio Nova.

JJC’s single and video ‘We Are Africans’ has attracted over 500,000 views on YouTube alone, not counting the numerous remixes, and it was also picked up by the influential American hip-hop site www.worldstarhiphop.com, as well as being playlisted on MTV Base Africa, and also on heavy rotation on Nigezie, BEN TV and many other channels.

‘We Are African’ is an anthem - in fact it could be labelled as the national anthem for the United States of Africa, a concept which signifies the unification and reinvention of Africa and Africans from all parts of the diaspora. Like James Brown’s’Say it Loud’ many years before, ‘We Are Africans’ combines the sentiment of pride, unity and positivity, whilst being controversial to some.

'We Are African' has spawn several remixes, including Sierra Leone Remix, Zimbabwe Remix, Naija Street Remix, and more to come, as other countries want to leave their mark on a track that unites the African continent.