Mister and Miss FAMU, Kimani Jackson and Erika Nicole, have used their melodic voices to spread a powerful message. They performed “Bigger” from Beyonce’s “Black is King” project, live at this year’s 2020 election and pageant.
They chose the song “Bigger” because they wanted to relay a multi-dimensional message that would be relatable to everyone. In the background the phrase “you’re part of something way bigger” is be repeated throughout the song, which is the main message.
“We love Beyonce’s ‘Black is King’ project,” Jackson said. “That spoke to us on many different levels but as I begin to listen to it for myself. I started thinking about like how that means so many different messages.”
Nicole said, “This one is going to hit home for everyone. Whether you go to FAMU or you’re just a product of an HBCU. The message is for us as being more of ourselves, always because we are more, and we can’t let people define who we are.”
The video of their performance went viral with more than 50,000 views on Instagram alone.
“The Mr. and Miss FAMU cover of bigger really touched me because it made me see, even more, just how excellent FAMU is as a whole. It made me feel like I was more than just a student; I have potential and a purpose and as a part of this institution I am on a path to success. We all have a purpose and truly are part of something bigger, and we have the ability to defy boundaries and make changes that impact lots of people,” said Kasia Janey, a student at FAMU.
They tried to personalize the song. Nicole sang one of her verses in opera, while Jackson gave the song an R&B flair. They also changed some of the song’s lyrics.
Jackson addeda phrase, “I’ll fight and win whatever the battle be.”
“I just put that in there because that’s a reminder that like, no matter what’s going on, no matter what the battle is whether it’s COVID, whether it’s justice, whether it’s the presidential election or voting or whatever. We’ve got to fight and win whatever that’ll be because we’re part of something way bigger,” Jackson said.
“And that resonates with any HBCU student. And we wanted them to know that they are a part of a rich legacy. The historically Black colleges and universities were built for us to prosper. And so we’re here and we’ve got to prosper because we’re part of something way bigger.”
Music has been called the universal music and this song arrangement by Mister and Miss FAMU proved it to be.