Drizilik on Inspiration, Temptation, and Faith in New Single ‘Decide’

After announcing his North American debut at the OneSaloneMusik Fest, Drizilik shared a teaser for a new video from Ashobi, his sophomore album. Decide; track 7 on Ashobi premieres today on MTVBase.

I caught up with Drizilik to chat about the inspiration behind the song and music video for Decide.

"The money is now, but my soul is forever." 
New Video #Decide out this Friday. #AshobiAlbum pic.twitter.com/vMa7hMZuc6
— Di Shukubly Ashɔbi (@drizilik) January 23, 2023
 

How did you get the inspiration for Decide?

Drizilik: Decide was one of the last songs I made on the Ashobi album. And I just felt inspired. DJ Rampage and I had just gotten to Ghana in June 2019. He was on his keyboard doing his thing, and I was outside. As soon as I heard the keys, I ran in and told him to play it again. I freestyled till the hook came to me. It wasn’t until I was in London this past summer that I wrote the whole thing. 

What role does/has faith played in your life?

Drizilik: Ah no go say mi na church pikin, but between Aunty Omo and my granny, they had us in church; Sunday School and Bible lesson. 

For big and little things, they taught us to turn to God. Put you faith in God! That part of my culture will never leave me. Faith is the answer to the problems I can’t solve.  So much is beyond my reach and understanding; my faith gives me assurance.

There is a lot of irony in the lyrics…things are not what they seem or how they appear. Seems like you’re saying that God is the one constant. Is that the message?

Drizilik: I know I’m not alone. We are all in the same struggle trying to max out on our potential or find our purpose. Decide speaks to that collective experience, the hurdles we face in the quest for more. In Sierra Leone today, so many people are going through it. There are those battling addiction and low self-esteem, and those who are successful have to deal with fake love and extortion too. No matter what you’re going through, faith is your strongest weapon.

Where did you shoot the video, and what are you trying to say in each scene?

Drizilik: We shot in four locations in Basildon when I was in the UK last summer. There are scenes in a church, a place of solace and redemption for the faithful, then we moved to the English countryside with wide open spaces and greenery. Nature offers peace and reminds us that growth is possible.

In the scene with the homies, we wanted to show the weight of peer pressure and the need to belong. And lastly, there is the scene with women in the bedroom, which speaks to sexual tension and temptation. The distractions are always there but in all things, leave it God make i decide. 

Watch decide on Drizilik’s Youtube Channel when it premieres on Youtube on January 27.