Rapper Tinie Tempah has described as “pivotal” the contribution Britons of West African descent have made to the UK as the Prince of Wales celebrated their achievements.
Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall invited dozens of famous faces of Ghanaian, Gambian or Nigerian heritage to St James’s Palace ahead of their tour of the three West African nations, to highlight the region.
Tempah, whose real name is Patrick Okogwu and is of Nigerian descent, said: “I think the West African diaspora has played a very pivotal role in the growth and development of Britain over the past 50 years to even longer.”
“West Africa especially is the place to be right now in terms of culture, in terms of music, in terms of fashion, in terms of art. I can’t get enough of it, as a British-born young man I’m spending a lot of my time in Nigeria at the moment.”
In Ghana, the heir to the throne will visit the 17th-century Christiansborg Castle, once a Danish slave fort and later owned by Britain.
The couple’s visit comes hard on the heels of the Prime Minister’s high-profile visit to the continent just a few months ago.
Speaking about the impact Britons from West Africa have made, he added: “It’s a great contribution – it’s Great Britain, we’ve all grown up in this amazing country and are happy to contribute what we can in our different fields.”
