[size=14pt]What Rick Ross’ “Hold me back” video tells the world about Nigerians[/size]

Minutes after the online release of the Nigerian version of Rick Ross’ “Hold me Back” video, Nigerians on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have since rained curses and insults on the rapper for his audacity at showing Nigeria in its poorest and most ghetto form. The video starts with commentary about the Biafra war and then launches into a series of clips shot at different poor areas of Lagos State with scores of Nigerians chanting along the chorus with him. There is even a clip of Rick Ross handing dollar bills to poor children who race through the dirty slum waters to grab a note as he races off in his speed boat.

If you haven't watch the video, watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=m9Xcs-78Xpo

Now if you are in the aid and development circuit, some might classify the video as “poverty porn.” The development blog, Aid Thoughts succinctly describes the phenomenon in its piece, What is ‘poverty porn’ and why does it matter for development? when it described it as:

any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor’s condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers or increasing charitable donations or support for a given cause. Poverty porn is typically associated with black, poverty-stricken Africans, but can be found elsewhere. The subjects are overwhelming children, with the material usually characterized by images or descriptions of suffering, malnourished or otherwise helpless persons. The stereotype of poverty porn is the African child with a swollen belly, staring blankly into the camera, waiting for salvation.

More succinctly, poverty porn is oft described as the “glamourization of poverty” or even its celebration as some sort of “rebellious anti-authoritarian lifestyle.”

Whatever Rick Ross’ intention was shooting that video, Nigerians are livid. A casual glance at the hundreds of comments currently accumulating under the video on YouTube is testament to the sentiments of majority of Nigerians online

Some comments:

- Rick Ross is a hot mess

- Rick Ross is just trying to paint a negative picture about Nigeria. We’re not monkeys over here.

- Do you think tourists would ever think of going to Nigeria if Rick Ross keeps deceiving the world with a horrible video like this? This video is giving Nigeria a bad image.

Interestingly, Rick Ross had earlier shot a similarly ghetto-esque version of this same video in New Orleans in the United States depicting ghetto life and the struggles of the poor. Perhaps his sentiments behind shooting that version of the video gives one a glimpse of what he had in mind with the Nigerian version. In an interview with MTV earlier this year, he had this to say:

“We went to New Orleans to capture that essence. I feel like New Orleans been through it a lot, more than the majority of others, and they’re still strong, they’re still standing, they still got that pride.

Aside from a ban from BET for “being too real” the New Orlean version of the video mostly got good reviews.

Why all the negative sentiments from Nigerians for the video’s Nigerian version?

What Rick Ross’ “Hold me back” video tells the world about Nigerians
Nigerians HATE being depicted as hungry, malnourished, poverty striken and dirt poor even though it is the reality of most Nigerians. (Over 80% by many estimates).

Now by Nigerians of course, we mean wealthy/middle class Nigerians who make up the bulk of those online. They were privileged enough to get an education and live above the poverty that has enslaved most Nigerians. They live in a bubble that knows close to nothing about this Nigeria that Rick Ross speaks about and it is absolutely despicable that he would choose to focus on only this version of Nigeria because it is unrecognizable to them. What of the country’s wealthy areas in many parts of Lagos, or its overpriced hotels and fast rising estates? Or its polished, refined and globally aware party going, Afropolitan elites? Or even just the fact that the nation is private jet loving, with its purported rank as one of its fastest growing markets globally? Or the many things that makes Nigeria Africa’s luxury loving, indulgent and wealthy big brother?

Now imagine some of the kids Rick Ross depicted in the video coming on YouTube to watch the video and seeing the self conscious comments and complaints by Nigerians. They would probably have confused looks on their faces wondering what the fuss is all about especially since the shots he put up were candid and real…or are Nigerians trying to say they don’t want the world to know where they live or what Nigerian slums look like even though that’s where most people live?

Of course, Rick Ross is advertently/inadvertently awakening already held stereotypes about many African countries as war torn and hunger stricken but what it should remind us is that it isn’t exactly fair as Africans to expect the world to hide the realities African elites find as shameful.

It is true that there are ghettos and slums everywhere in the world but unfortunately most of the continent is still degenerate – slum life is not a minority problem but a majority problem. Thankfully, with rising economic fundamentals in many African economies, this reality is changing – NIgeria is leading this reality with its ever accelerating GDP growth numbers but is the wealth circulating fast enough to reduce slum life and poverty so that it is no longer the reality of majority of Nigerians?

Perhaps what Nigerians should work towards is not covering up their shame but embracing the nation in all its contradictory glory. While Rick Ross glamourizes poverty in Nigeria maybe most Nigerian artistes can for a start abandon foreign locations and shoot the glamorous shots Nigerians speak about at home as a start — or will the shots not be glamorous enough by global standards?

Let us all tell ourselves some hard truths and instead of being ashamed and insecure work towards building a continent we can all be proud of. Only then will videos like Rick Ross’ Hold me back not matter…

http://www.cp-africa.com/2012/09/18/what-rick-ross-hold-me-back-video-tells-the-world-about-nigerians/

so many many many told me
so many many many told me
the Lord is it
the Lord is it
i really wanna be the N...(d N....)
i really wanna be the H..(d H....)
i really wanna be the Winner(d Winner)
and i really wanna be the Capi (d Capital)

Oh my God, this song is banging right now
sneak in here and listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTDPveQR0Uk

Summarize please.

Ha ha ha! No doubt that video shows the real state of poverty level in nigeria. Rickross thanks for letting the world know we are suffering and smiling.
Afterall na jeje him siddon wey dem go carry am come.

The video was shoot in Nigeria so what is the problem here

this is the truth about Nigeria. Ricky God bless you...

The Rick ross is already a mess. He smokes weed, cracks, takes bitches, selfish, arrogant, he is old but dresses like a 5 year old. What moral or legacy is he putting down? And what do upcoming youths really wanna learn from him. How to smoke weed To me, he is just a over hyped big hippo.

[size=20pt]WHY MUST THIS B ON FRONT PAGE AND THIS IS NOT THERE[/size]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiOEV0v2RM

I cant even read that long thread,try to summarise it next time pls. But i can guess what its all abt sha.
Talk of Rick Ross new naija ghetto version of 'hold me back', he came to our country and used one of the best locations for d ordinary citizens who are not wealthy or into politics. Was that slum faked up or isnt it a place in our country? Someone said he shld have gone to Abj or Obudu to shoot his video,i laughed. Poor we! We are showing the whole world what we arent. When our own musicians are busy running to South Africa to shoot their video when we have better places like the makoko for them. Lols.

garripack: [size=20pt]WHY MUST THIS B ON FRONT PAGE AND THIS IS NOT THERE[/size]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiOEV0v2RM

Mods u berra Hide dis video b4 dem Burn d server .. i do yarn my own oo

 expected sumtin reasonable frm ‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ guyz bt instead ‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ A̶̲̥̅̊я̲̣̥ε̲̣̣̣̥ supporting D̶̲̥̅̊aτ̲̅ stupid chim,‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ really nid τ̅☺ Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ d video,he really made a mess abt 9geria τ̅☺ d out side world.rick is sm1  respect i̶̲̥̅̊и̣̣̣̣̥ d industry bt d stupid guy really fail M̶̲̥̅̊y̶̲̥̅̊ hand.he is a fool 4 portraying us lyke dat

solidbroda: The Rick ross is already a mess. He smokes weed, cracks, takes bitches, selfish, arrogant, he is old but dresses like a 5 year old. What moral or legacy is he putting down? And what do upcoming youths really wanna learn from him. How to smoke weed To me, he is just a over hyped big hippo.

Typical Nigerian, SMH.
Ignoring the message and attacking the messenger

the problem is nt abt rick ross shootin his video in lagos bt d prob. Is dat d whole wont say its jst an area in lagos..it always goin 2 b Nigeria as a whole so dnt blame nigerians if they ova react. No matter hw poor we re, an individual nigerian always want 2 b gud in d eyes of odas... PACKAGIN TINZ!

Not available

@EveryOne, I wonder what you'll complaining about. Did he lie about the state of Nigeria? Why do we like living in deception?? Do you guyz think you can ever make progress when you hide the truth from yourself? Are those places not in Nigeria? Or did he video a scene in Liberia and depicts it as Nigeria?? I tire for una OoOoO,

shiit! Ricky is getting it on his brain negatively, Nigerians are rich, a lot of people earn @ least 15k a month, but our govt needs to put somethings in place in order to ease the hardship we face, so the blame ought to be casted on the govt not the masses, ricky, most ghetto in US are almost as Nigeria's e.g Pine Bluff in Arkansas

solidbroda: The Rick ross is already a mess. He smokes weed, cracks, takes bitches, selfish, arrogant, he is old but dresses like a 5 year old. What moral or legacy is he putting down? And what do upcoming youths really wanna learn from him. How to smoke weed To me, he is just a over hyped big hippo.

when people say someone(particularly men) is old and dresses like a kid I don't know what and how they mean, how do 'old people' dress exactly and who made that rule. why should a man worry about how another man should dress.

Nigerians insulting rick ross are just stup!d. The video was shot somewhere in Nigeria and that slum on the video is even a luxury to other slums in the country. Keep whining about rick ross and continue allowing your politicians to keep on looting. I think the inhabitants of that slum will be thankful to God for this exposure. Some people are saying he should have shot it in some 'posh places', is there any posh place in Nigeria apart from some places in Abuja. Nigeria is a mess, if you think otherwise, you are only a fool!

Nigerians are so UNGRATEFUL!!! *hisses and walks away*

Hey!!! Una own too much jare...

Don't they shoot clips and documentaries in projects abroad.

Haven't you seen slumdog millionaire. Did indians complain?

Infact, try watching the documentary on the real 'rick-ross' and u will conclude that every single black abroad is either a drug-junkie or a soon-to-be- drug-junkie.

Rest the matter ja re, atleast the video was not greenscreened(chroma). The original background was captured.

So?

Rick ross and his team are black folks he is free to share what the 3rd world country go through the real ghetto life you think western media like fake publicity , they like real issues - am yet to see the video sha - hope they did not go too far but its all good I see nothin wrong it this - ok you should be thankful he is feeling the pains of the poor and neglected ok -

Noise Noise Noise!!! I just did not grab the connection of what his song wanted to achieve. Rap gangs star! ghetto feeling Please cut the crap it was just a disconnect.

Your so called naija artists would rather go and shoot their vidoes in SA and the likes, now a foreigner is exposing what your own artists are ashamed of and you're now complaining? Abeg suck it up and enjoy the video, he's showing it exactly how it is!
The lyrics are wack though

[quote author=shakomende][size=14pt]What Rick Ross’ “Hold me back” video tells the world about Nigerians[/size]

Minutes after the online release of the Nigerian version of Rick Ross’ “Hold me Back” video, Nigerians on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have since rained curses and insults on the rapper for his audacity at showing Nigeria in its poorest and most ghetto form. The video starts with commentary about the Biafra war and then launches into a series of clips shot at different poor areas of Lagos State with scores of Nigerians chanting along the chorus with him. There is even a clip of Rick Ross handing dollar bills to poor children who race through the dirty slum waters to grab a note as he races off in his speed boat.

If you haven't watch the video, watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=m9Xcs-78Xpo

Now if you are in the aid and development circuit, some might classify the video as “poverty porn.” The development blog, Aid Thoughts succinctly describes the phenomenon in its piece, What is ‘poverty porn’ and why does it matter for development? when it described it as:

any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor’s condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers or increasing charitable donations or support for a given cause. Poverty porn is typically associated with black, poverty-stricken Africans, but can be found elsewhere. The subjects are overwhelming children, with the material usually characterized by images or descriptions of suffering, malnourished or otherwise helpless persons. The stereotype of poverty porn is the African child with a swollen belly, staring blankly into the camera, waiting for salvation.

More succinctly, poverty porn is oft described as the “glamourization of poverty” or even its celebration as some sort of “rebellious anti-authoritarian lifestyle.”

Whatever Rick Ross’ intention was shooting that video, Nigerians are livid. A casual glance at the hundreds of comments currently accumulating under the video on YouTube is testament to the sentiments of majority of Nigerians online

Some comments:

- Rick Ross is a hot mess

- Rick Ross is just trying to paint a negative picture about Nigeria. We’re not monkeys over here.

- Do you think tourists would ever think of going to Nigeria if Rick Ross keeps deceiving the world with a horrible video like this? This video is giving Nigeria a bad image.

Interestingly, Rick Ross had earlier shot a similarly ghetto-esque version of this same video in New Orleans in the United States depicting ghetto life and the struggles of the poor. Perhaps his sentiments behind shooting that version of the video gives one a glimpse of what he had in mind with the Nigerian version. In an interview with MTV earlier this year, he had this to say:

“We went to New Orleans to capture that essence. I feel like New Orleans been through it a lot, more than the majority of others, and they’re still strong, they’re still standing, they still got that pride.

Aside from a ban from BET for “being too real” the New Orlean version of the video mostly got good reviews.

Why all the negative sentiments from Nigerians for the video’s Nigerian version?

What Rick Ross’ “Hold me back” video tells the world about Nigerians
Nigerians HATE being depicted as hungry, malnourished, poverty striken and dirt poor even though it is the reality of most Nigerians. (Over 80% by many estimates).

Now by Nigerians of course, we mean wealthy/middle class Nigerians who make up the bulk of those online. They were privileged enough to get an education and live above the poverty that has enslaved most Nigerians. They live in a bubble that knows close to nothing about this Nigeria that Rick Ross speaks about and it is absolutely despicable that he would choose to focus on only this version of Nigeria because it is unrecognizable to them. What of the country’s wealthy areas in many parts of Lagos, or its overpriced hotels and fast rising estates? Or its polished, refined and globally aware party going, Afropolitan elites? Or even just the fact that the nation is private jet loving, with its purported rank as one of its fastest growing markets globally? Or the many things that makes Nigeria Africa’s luxury loving, indulgent and wealthy big brother?

Now imagine some of the kids Rick Ross depicted in the video coming on YouTube to watch the video and seeing the self conscious comments and complaints by Nigerians. They would probably have confused looks on their faces wondering what the fuss is all about especially since the shots he put up were candid and real…or are Nigerians trying to say they don’t want the world to know where they live or what Nigerian slums look like even though that’s where most people live?

Of course, Rick Ross is advertently/inadvertently awakening already held stereotypes about many African countries as war torn and hunger stricken but what it should remind us is that it isn’t exactly fair as Africans to expect the world to hide the realities African elites find as shameful.

It is true that there are ghettos and slums everywhere in the world but unfortunately most of the continent is still degenerate – slum life is not a minority problem but a majority problem. Thankfully, with rising economic fundamentals in many African economies, this reality is changing – NIgeria is leading this reality with its ever accelerating GDP growth numbers but is the wealth circulating fast enough to reduce slum life and poverty so that it is no longer the reality of majority of Nigerians?

Perhaps what Nigerians should work towards is not covering up their shame but embracing the nation in all its contradictory glory. While Rick Ross glamourizes poverty in Nigeria maybe most Nigerian artistes can for a start abandon foreign locations and shoot the glamorous shots Nigerians speak about at home as a start — or will the shots not be glamorous enough by global standards?

Let us all tell ourselves some hard truths and instead of being ashamed and insecure work towards building a continent we can all be proud of. Only then will videos like Rick Ross’ Hold me back not matter…
















The video tells the world our ugly truth: underdevelopment!

The meaning of this video is that Nigerians are making him look bad. Because they are wretched and pathetic. He would have preferred they did not look like him. That is why he made this video, "these hoes/n*ggers are holding me back"
Nigeria needs to improved.

Look at them abusing ЂΞ massenger when our leaders ǟяɇ joyous over ЂΞ massage cos if they aint then let them do Smthing ãпԃ change ЂΞ poverty in Nija..D video is a stereotype of a typical Niga Ghetto.

Every week I see or hear of nigerian musicians come to south africa to shoot music videos and I ask myself why...its amazing cus most south african artistes shoot theirs in and around the ghettos they have here although its far more better than 9ja ghetto. Truth is we b a pple of too much pride. P diddy bin talk say 9ja na poverty stricken country,nigerians begin curse am for youtube without realising say most nigerians never hear or even get access to youtube. Anyway na only those wey never comot from 9ja dey talk rubbish say naija be dis naija be dat. Make una travel and c. We no even get electricity,water,gud road,hospitals,schools, etc. Rick ross no mind them abeg. Those wey dey curse u na for ikoyi,v island,lekki,vgc them dey live. Those children wey u dash money God go bless u,atleast them go buy better bread chop.

Nickonomakaveli:  expected sumtin reasonable frm ‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ guyz bt instead ‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ A̶̲̥̅̊я̲̣̥ε̲̣̣̣̥ supporting D̶̲̥̅̊aτ̲̅ stupid chim,‎​U̶̲̥̅̊ really nid τ̅☺ Ơ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡ d video,he really made a mess abt 9geria τ̅☺ d out side world.rick is sm1  respect i̶̲̥̅̊и̣̣̣̣̥ d industry bt d stupid guy really fail M̶̲̥̅̊y̶̲̥̅̊ hand.he is a fool 4 portraying us lyke dat

Speak English please

Who deserves more verbal abuse?

Your "I had no shoes" President who says that the subsidy protests were stage managed OR

A foreign musician who went straight to the ghetto to show Naija as it is (as opposed to our own musicians who prefer to talk about shaking bum bums, going down low, chopping my money when many children around them and in their village are yet to eat a meal in 2 days, etc)?

THOSE ABUSING RICK ROSS SHOULD GO BACK AND THINK ABOUT THEIR LIVES!

ACM10:

Typical Nigerian, SMH.
Ignoring the message and attacking the messenger

what message? Is it only in Nigeria that we have poor people and shanties or slums, or only in Nigeria that we have corrupt govt officials? Or is it only in Nigeria that everything seems awkward? We have loads of ghettos and shanties, corrupt govt official in America. But they don't portray such in music videos. Let someone sing about America that it is poor and lots of people are corrupt, then if that person won't be destroyed by the C.I.A or FBI .

For those complaining, If you have enough time and finance to own a PC/phone, and post on NL, you most probably have no idea what majority of Nigerians suffer daily. Poverty is a big problem in Nigeria, whether you like it or not. I see nothing wrong with the video

I don't care @ op

Truth hurts!!!