premiere: celebrate your worth in this hostile world with tunde olaniran’s funky new track

What better way to start the weekend than new vibey music by Tunde Olaniran?! A track that sounds more carefree than its lyrics might suggest, “I’m Here” is a hopeful declaration of personhood and the humanity that still exists in communities like Flint, MI., where Tunde is from. “I’m Here” is a reminder to myself that I exist and am worth something,” Tunde tells AFROPUNK. “It’s also, in part, is about being from a city like Flint and still living here. I tour and travel a lot so when I get home I’ll run into people who think I’ve left or assume success means running away from Flint. Like you don’t deserve happiness or success or fulfillment unless you escape.” “I’m here” is a proud counter to that notion that shows we gon’ flourish and love each other regardless of what we face as a community.

“The other part of the song is about what happens when I’m touring and traveling. It’s about the adventure, the isolation, the anonymity, the boredom, the thrill of stepping onstage in front of a roomful of strangers in an unfamiliar city and winning them over by the end of the set.”