American born music star, James Guyton is well known as ‘JG’, has used DNA tests to trace his origin to Nigeria. The African-American rapper, in a bid to find his roots, has traced his ancestors to Nigeria.
The lead vocalist, writer, and producer for the group FriendsWitNobody (F.W.N.), was recently in the country. The rapper in a release issued in Lagos declared that his quest to find the lost information in his bloodline has finally yielded positive results as he has found his true family identity.
According to him, a direct DNA test conducted has linked him to his long lost ancestors in Nigeria. Born in Des Moines, IA, he grew up in Sacramento, California where he had a rough upbringing and childhood.
A by-product of his environment, which was surrounded with music that he fell in love with at an early age, in pursuit of a better life, he moved to Denver, Colorado as an adult on a journey to find his deeper self and his higher calling in God, after losing both parents.
And not only did he find his higher purpose along his journey, he also found his true family identity. According to him, “It is no mystery that many African-Americans in America struggle with issues of historical displacement and abandonment due to slavery.
“Like other successful African-Americans in America, I found myself at a critical crossroad after facing the death of both my parents and needing answers. I began to question my identity, was I lucky or did my success have something to do with an innate ability to achieve?” he said.
Finding his roots
“So the search began and I began to look higher and deeper. This led me to my family tree. After digging through the family tree I decided to do a DNA test and all roots led back to the motherland, Nigeria,” he stated.
Nigeria has a negative image in the outside world. There are also unpalatable experiences in the course of visiting Nigeria for the first time.
Then there is the issue of culture shock. However, James ‘JG’ Guyton never let a couple of bad experiences change his heart or connection to Nigeria.
Giving back
As a philanthropist, his passion for humanitarian is second to none. During his visit, he impacted a community and affected some indigent lives in his little way.
“I have been able to put a borehole in Ogun state for people who never had running water. Also, I put a new roof and ceiling on a widow’s house. And I paid one-year tuition for a University of Lagos (UNILAG) student.
With this new vision, JG hopes to change the world through truth, music, and media entertainment. As part of his effort to support the music industry and involve Nigerians, JG will be giving out N10,000 weekly in the course of the maiden edition of his #FWNGBUDanceChallenge. This is part of a campaign to promote his latest project God Bless You.
The lyricist has done well for himself in the American music industry. He has collaborated with notable artistes including Platinum/Grammy-nominated Paul Wall.
He featured Wall in his song “God Bless You” alongside Nigeria’s Wande Coal. The “God Bless You” video takes you from the streets of Lagos to the streets of Houston Texas.