Falz speaks on the ills plaguing Nigerians right now as his contemporaries and politicians stay quiet.
Nigerian rapper Falz has just given us a State of the Republic address.
No, the son of the human rights activist did not hijack a radio station like Wole Soyinka in the 60s to do this.
Falz has addressed we fellow citizens with a 3-minute 42-second video that touches on everything going in the country right now, something our dear Daddy Bubu has failed to do since he knocked a certain shoe less president from Aso Rock.
*3 minutes. Falz literally gave y’all a State of The Union address four days before the 19th anniversary of Democracy Day.
Should Atiku ‘mistakenly’ praise Falz, PMB will mention all the rapper discussed in his May 29 address. Watch out for Osibanjo’s next speech too.
— Eromo Egbejule (@EromoEgbejule) May 26, 2018
The concept isn’t entirely ground breaking, as a matter of fact, it is predictable. On Saturday, May 5, 2018, American rapper Donald Glover shook the Internet with his jaw-dropping ‘This Is America’ video.
For days, the woke Illuminati pushed out Twitter threads and screenshots about the hidden meaning of Glover’s latest masterpiece. The epic video sparked discussions on gun control, racism and violence within the American context.
I wondered which Nigerian act would be the first to do a Nigerian spin on Glover’s viral music video. Little did I know it would be Falz. On second look and thought, why not Falz?
The rapper who has risen to the mainstream thanks to a heavy dose of humour has sprinkled his persona with strong bouts of consciousness sprinkled all over his albums.
In June 2017, Falz ruffled feathers and shook tables when he spoke against the glorification of Internet fraud in Nigerian music. Fast forward to May 2018, while most of his contemporaries are chasing the ‘shaku shaku‘ sound, he is doubling down on consciousness.
Using the same visual concept as the star and brains behind the ground breaking sitcom ‘Atlanta‘, Falz addresses the issues of the Federal Republic shirtless in an underground parking lot while a Fulani man commits murder, Chibok/Dapchi girls do the latest dance craze, young men get high of codeine and undergrads get molested by SARS.
The video supposedly shot in one-take shows how a nation is hooked on a reality TV show while mayhem is everywhere and how we are fixed on the material lifestyle of celebrities even though most of the people in Nigeria live under the poverty line.
Falz’s ‘This Is Nigeria’ is a moving picture, a disturbing reflection on the state of things in the country. Rightfully, it has rubbed some people the wrong way. That is what great art does.
Some take offence to Falz stereotyping Fulani people and young girls in Hijab dancing the shaku shaku. We must remember that Falz is just placing a mirror in front of us. If you don’t like what you see, then do something about the country.
Throughout his career, despite his mainstream appeal, Falz has never been widely regarded as one of the top rap talents in the country. You can blame it on his funny alter ego which sometimes obscures the depth of his talent.
Anyway, moments like this lets us know Falz is no joke. He makes conscious music and speaks truth to power- a trademark of legendary rappers.
With his state of the Republic address, maybe it is time to hail Falz as the best rapper out now. He might be funny but he knows when the jokes are over and when it is time to be serious.
Watch the video below:
-Pulse Ng
