Ripples as US rapper films Lagos slums

American rapper, Rick Ross, is once again causing a stir in Nigeria. This time he is not making fans scream out his name in ecstasy from his rapping prowess, but rather generating controversy with his Nigerian version of the music video, Hold me Back, released earlier this week.

The video, directed by DRE and SpiffTV films, uses Lagos to illustrate Ross’ lyrics. The video currently making waves online shows Lagos at its worse.

Probably shot in one or several of the slums in Lagos, it shows pictures of children in the slum, gun-trotting policemen   and crowded buses in motion, with conductors hanging onto the door.

One of the comments that have greeted the video is that Ross has succeeded in ‘washing Nigeria’s and indeed Lagos’ dirty linen in the public’. Although the song itself, which he begins with ‘These niggas want hold me back’, may not be particularly talking about issues in Nigeria, the argument borders on why he chose to use such pictures in the video.

While some have praised him for his honest and perhaps unbiased portrayal of the Nigerian situation, others have continued to criticise the rapper for ‘insulting’ the country.

Interestingly, not only Nigerians have had the opportunity of airing their views of the video, other Africans – since it was made a debate on BBCAFRICA online, Twitter  and Facebook – are also making contributions to the discussion that have generated thousands of comments.

A commentator wrote, “He spoke the truth and anybody that says he was just painting a fictional image is a total plunker. A large majority of Nigerians leave in slums or rural areas, even the developed cities have a little slum in them. You can’t always be selling girls shaking their asses, or popping champagne or fast cars in all your videos, some videos have to be for the people and connecting with the majority.”

“I have no problems at all with the video at all,” another wrote in support of Ross. “The song is about making it in the face of extreme poverty as was the original US video; so it is only the continuation of a theme. Are people saying Makoko is not a part of Lagos and so should not be shown? If all our local musicians know is to go and shoot videos in fifth rate clubs in South Africa and other countries ignoring the problems back home, then kudos to Rick for showing us that part of our nation which we would rather pretend doesn’t exist.”

But there are also those who feel Ross – who also has an American version of the video – crossed his limits with it. One wrote, “Mixed feelings about this. Never will I get comfortable with black men referring to themselves or others as “Niggas”! Also, you’re out in the slums where the jewelry around your neck and wrist can probably feed all those people for a week or more. What’s the message supposed to be, if there is one?”

Meanwhile, Ross has been promoting the video on his Twitter timeline, perhaps oblivious of the debate that has been generated. On Wednesday he wrote on his Twiter handle, @rickyrozay, “Seen #HoldmeBack Nigeria?”

Despite the criticisms, Ross,  who has on several occasions performed in Nigeria alongside other popular artistes, loves Nigeria at least as his comment,  “I luv NigeRia. #thanku for thE ExpiriEncE” on Twitter seems to suggest.