Understanding 'Falz- This Is Nigeria' Music Video

This post was originally published on Facebook on June 6, 2018.

The problem starts from the fact that 'This Is Actually Nigeria' and we will always look for chaos in places that are peaceful. As Nigerians, only few understand the concept of the song and the music video... the latter which is actually the most important piece of this saga and perhaps
the most important piece out of the entertainment industry.

"Do you know 'This Is Nigeria' is a parody to 'This Is America,' a song accompanied with a more provocative music video by American artist Childish Gambino???"
I throw this question to Nigerians every now and then and it's sad that Nigerians and, apparently, the bodies clamouring for the takedown of the music video don't even know who Childish Gambino is.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has
requested Falz to take down the video, tender an apology or face legal actions.(Lol,it's time like this you remember that Falz's full name is Folarin FALANA and he is even a lawman).
Their reasons been that the video showed girls in 'hijab' dancing "Shaku Shaku."

You don't know me but I am not a fan of the dance or any other dance craze in the country. But seeing that in the video, it was beautiful.

Childish Gambino also had teens dance the viral "shoot" dance in his 'This Is America' video but they weren't putting on hijabs. These children
were on school uniforms. Even if you're living under a rock, you will know that American students don't wear uniforms. But if your rock has a few cracks, you will yell praises while seeing the video, knowing the plight of students of the United States at the moment.

So it all comes down to our understanding and exposure to the outside world. Are we still all living in the Nigeria where Government criticism shouldn't peek and sneak in our entertainment contents? No be me and you.

The video to Childish Gambino's This Is America (which addresses the issues that have affected the black community in America, including police brutality,
gun violence, and mass shootings) has garnered over 240 million YouTube views in a month and the song topped the world most prestigious music chart for two weeks.

Understanding that Falz's effort is a parody of a successful western output in the first place goes a long way. But This Is Nigeria.

MURIC described the video as “thoughtless, insensitive and highly
provocative.”
For highlighting the pertinent issues
in the country satirically in a four minutes music video is the most thoughtful thing to come out of an industry with videos of people perching on objects to gyrate because they are bored.

I understand that you might see the move as insensitive but if only you know the power of entertainment in projecting awareness using whatever means necessary, you will push for more YouTube views to topple the insensitive 4 Million views still hanging on the video you want to be taken down.

And your claim that the video is
"highly provocative" is rather ironic because I believe that's what the video is meant for.

MURIC says "Only the scenes portraying police brutality and the money-swallowing snake in the video are near the
truth.” Eyah. Really painful that we can't cut out the part of the hijab ladies dancing "Shaku Shaku"(which is by far the best use of symbolism in the country this year.)

Respectable Sirs and Mas and other bodies pushing for the ban of this video, know that the country will never change nor grow if you ban everything that provokes you. Provocation is a
stimulant to change. And besides, if the hook of the song : "This Is Nigeria, look how we living now" hasn't infected you yet, then the whole concept flew over your head like the President's private jet on its
way to London and you are not in any position to throw criticism.

I rest my case.