| "This Is Nigeria" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Falz | ||||
| Released | May 25, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2018 | |||
| Genre | Afrobeats, Political hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:43 | |||
| Label | Bahd Guys Records | |||
| Songwriter | Folarin Falana | |||
| Falz singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "This Is Nigeria" on YouTube | ||||
"This Is Nigeria" is a song by Nigerian rapper Falz, released on 25 May 2018. It is a cover of Childish Gambino's "This Is America". Falz's father, Femi Falana, performed background vocals on the track.[1] "This Is Nigeria" addresses a number of societal issues prevalent in Nigeria, including SARS brutality, codeine abuse and unrestrained killings.[2] The song's accompanying music video was directed by Prodigeezy and produced by Wande Thomas.[3]
Composition
According to Falz, the song "addresses numerous political and social ills", and is an attempt "to spark a reaction in the positive direction". The video highlights Nigeria's issues with violence, political corruption, policing, and organized religion.[4][5][6]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "This Is Nigeria" was directed by Prodigeezy.[7] Filmed in an empty warehouse, the video depicts a Fulani man committing murder, Chibok/Dapchi girls dancing, young men getting high off codeine, and undergraduate students being assaulted by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.[1] The music video has received over 20 million views on YouTube. American rapper Sean Combs uploaded the music video onto his Instagram page and captioned it with the hashtag "#Nigeria LETS GO!".[8][1]
In an interview with Hello Nigeria, Falz discussed the inspiration behind the video. On June 5, 2018, the Muslim Rights Concern demanded that Falz withdraw the music video or face legal action.[9] He was also asked to apologize for using women wearing hijab while dancing Shaku Shaku. This triggered a viral outrage on social media. Nigerian Twitter users showed support for the video and also advised the rapper not to take down the video. Falz's management later released a statement stating that the music video will not be taken down.[6]
References
- Akan, Joey (28 May 2018). "Rapper Falz's 'This is Nigeria' video holds up a mirror for the country". CNN. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- Ohunyon, Ehis (29 May 2018). "10 songs you should listen to on May 29". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- Ohunyon, Ehis (30 May 2018). "Director Geezy talks about Falz"s "This is Nigeria" video". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- Khumalo, Fred (10 June 2018). "'This is Nigeria': Childish Gambino's 'America' has found an echo in Africa". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- AFP (7 June 2018). "Nigerian version of Childish Gambino's This Is America by rapper Falz highlights violence and corruption". The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Unah, Linus (1 June 2018). "Not Everyone Is Happy With Nigeria's Viral Version Of 'This Is America'". NPR. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- Okpala, Victor (28 May 2018). "Meet Prodigeezy, The 23-Year-Old Director Behind Falz's #ThisIsNigeria Video - NET". The NET. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- Augoye, Jayne (27 May 2018). "Hip-hop star P Diddy hails Falz's 'This is Nigeria' video". Premium Times. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- Agency Report (6 June 2018). "ICYMI: Women in hijab dancing 'Shaku shaku' offensive to Islam, MURIC tells Falz". The Punch. Retrieved 6 June 2018.