The Nigerian rapper tackles his country’s social ills in his very own answer to Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.”
Nigerian rapper, Falz has been known to use his sharp brand of humor to address social ills in his country. Today he’s taken it a step further with the release of a new song and video entitled “This is Nigeria” and the outcome is an audacious, decidedly necessary critique of Nigerian society inspired by Childish Gambino’s viral video “This is America.”
Falz opens the song with a voice over of his father the lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, discussing the consequences of rampant corruption and exploitation, before adding his own cutting criticism: “This is Nigeria, look how I’m living now, look how I’m living now. Everybody be criminal,” he rhymes as chaos ensues all around him.
The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song and video, in which Falz tackles everything from the government’s sluggish response to the missing Chibok Girls, the drug epidemic affecting Nigerian youth, widespread consumerism, the country’s infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), internet fraud, crooked pastors, Fulani herdsmen and even Big Brother Nigeria.
He ends the video with a reenactment of the now viral clip of Nigeria’s Inspector General Ibrahim Idris painfully stumbling through a speech.
“This is Nigeria” is a welcomed departure from the superficiality that has become ubiquitous in afrobeats music. It’s certainly refreshing to see an artist in Falz’s position, use his platform to offer critical and thought-provoking material that challenges the status-quo.
“This is Nigeria” is an absolute must-see. Check it out below.
