WATCH: Is Rick Ross Exploiting Nigeria in 'Hold Me Back'? [VIDEO]
Warning: This video contains explicit and violent language.
American rapper Rick Ross has been criticized on Facebook and Twitter for portraying Nigeria in a bad light.
The promo video shows the rapper, dressed in gold chains and a flashy watch, visiting the slums in Lagos and rapping as he's mobbed by crowds. Women are filmed washing clothes and goats are caught wandering around the slums while the video also features news footage. The video titled “Hold Me Back” shows children reaching out for dollar bills.
On twitter, @filmtriQue fumed: 'Rick Ross is just trying to paint a negative picture about Nigeria. We’re not monkeys over here.'
SourceWhat do you say? By showcasing slums in the backdrop of his opulent verbal imagery, is Rick Ross exploiting Nigeria?
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I don’t understand why so many Nigerians, Africans, and people in general are so upset by the Nigerian version of Hold Me Back. Rick Ross just took the concept of making a music video in the ghettos of America and took it to the “ghettos” of Africa. What’s the difference when the travel shows go to the same places and show the same things? The only difference is they are not dripping in gold chains, wearing diamond crusted watches, and handing out money. Rick Ross did not exploit, nor did he try and paint a negative picture about Nigeria. He just showed what’s real. He does it in the States and nobody complains about him handing out shoes and driving expensive cars in the hood. People need to not be so sensitive about things especially if you accept it when it happens in your own country by many rappers on a regular basis. I’m not condoning their flashy behavior but I have accepted it.