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    Nigerian Rapper Goes Viral With His Take On 'This Is America'

    Called "This Is Nigeria," the music video by rapper Falz sheds light on the country's most pressing issues, from unemployed youth to unreliable electricity. Here's a handy guide to his references.
    by Linus Unah Jun 01, 2018 5 minutes
    Source: FalzVEVO via YouTube/Screengrab by NPR

    Last week, a Nigerian rapper released his own version of Childish Gambino's hit song and music video "This Is America."

    It's called "This Is Nigeria" and was written and performed by lawyer-turned-musician Falz The Bahd Guy. Like the hugely popular Donald Glover song and video (Gambino is his stage name), the Nigerian version looks at harsh everyday realities.

    In "This Is America," the issues include gun violence, racism and the distraction of viral entertainment and social media. Falz's lyrics and visuals touch on some of Nigeria's major problems: poor electricity supply, drug addiction and government corruption. The video even features veiled Muslim girls to allude to Boko Haram's abductions of schoolgirls in the northeast.

    Falz performs in pidgin English, a blend of English and local languages that is widely spoken in West Africa. The chorus says:

    "This is Nigeria.Never-ending recession-oWhere lootersPolitician wey steal some billion and billion e no dey go prison-o."

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