₦airaland Forum

Few days ago, the internet went berserk following the statements made by a Nigerian rapper, Oludemilade Martin Alejo aka YCee on the Afropolitan Podcast. The rapper expressed concern that Nigerian internet culture currently rewards ignorance and shock value rather than academic or artistic excellence. He compared the rise of online viral stars to "Peller culture" and claimed society is accommodating "unintelligent and ignorant people.

Many Nigerians, especially the younger generations were rattled by his opinions, but we must face and accept the truth. For your information, YCee is just 29 years old, and could be said to miss the Gen Z age group by just one year or so. This means that he is not even in his middle age yet, but could boldly stand up and say the bitter truth.

Our internet culture, truth be told, does not promote academic intelligence and excellence in our young ones. It oftentimes promotes mediocrity and people with little or no societal value. If a young person invents or introduces a technology that could be developed to boost the living standard of the society, it fades away within 48 hours or less on the internet. But Nigerians become so focused and vibrate with so much energy that can power the National Grid when it involves the nude video of an actress or a content creator. We dwell so much on trivial issues. If a so-called content creator with big ass and big boobs cries online that she is broke, Nigerians don't mind requesting for her account details to send money. Even the ones that cannot give their parents 2000 Naira. But just post a young lad that invented something worthy and call on people to donate to him so that such technology could be improved, and watch how people quickly slide to another video online.

The truth is that the internet culture in Nigeria does not promote excellence in academics, science and technology, innovations, etc., rather it promotes nudity, fake life, trivial discussions, and things that destroy our culture and traditions.

Peller might not be the centerpiece or theme of YCee's statements. Peller could just be a metaphor for such internet practice and belief. So it is not worthy for people to make it seem as if it was a direct attack on Peller. We should always see such statements from a deeper side. Truth is a bitter pill.

This twerking culture on social media platforms that our young women have come to embrace actually started among the black American females. They sold that culture to us. It wasn't ours. You don't see Asian women twerking on the internet. It is always black American women and their counterparts in Nigeria (mostly Nigeria), Ghana, Kenya, etc. It is the same reason why the black internet culture in America promotes gun violence, drugs, and nude twerking.

Sometime ago, one young man in Nigeria trended for screaming one thing or the other while selling fish pie. Fish pie! Can a young man in Nigeria trend that way for inventing a robot that can do house chores? Which one is more difficult to achieve? To scream and sell fish pie or to invent a robot that can do house chores? Your answer should be able to tell your level of reasoning.

In conclusion, YCee's podcast goes beyond Peller. It is more about how Nigeria internet rewards mediocrity over excellence.

1984 is upon us again. It is to the government's benefit that there are many ignorant people. They are the easiest to control.

The intellectuals would ask too many questions and we don't want that. I just posted a few days on the 90s to 2000s thread that music lost its consciousness in the 90s and I joked that why won't the politicians who oppress you be dancing with you when they know the lyrics to the songs these days are meaningless and do not ask them questions

You've made good points, very well said.
Actually, it's all connected to End Time. Many have also not realized that the Iran American War and Trump's recent Reactions was Prophecied to be the very last thing that would make JESUS to Appear. See the bolded part of: https://www.nairaland.com/8699253/iran-american-israel-prophesy-ushers

Hmmmmm. Food for thought !

Tilumbu pushed many olodos to mainstream for propaganda and to divide the people so he can remain in power

The last time we celebrated excellence was that beautiful girl who got the highest score in JAMB.
Even the government didn't celebrate her that much.

Like I said there are two ways of looking at it.

On the one hand, you have older people complaining about the young people for centuries

Here is this quote from the 17th century

“… I find by sad Experience how the Towns and Streets are filled with lewd wicked Children, and many Children as they have played about the Streets have been heard to curse and swear and call one another Nick-names, and it would grieve ones Heart to hear what bawdy and filthy Communications proceeds from the Mouths of such…”

On the other hand, the article is right. But the same thing can be said about every country in the world.

Your average star footballer earns far more than your average primary school teacher, be it Nigeria, or the United Kingdom, so not a nigerian thing.

SixSeven:
1984 is upon us again. It is to the government's benefit that there are many ignorant people. They are the easiest to control.

What happened in 1984?

Xx

Mariangeles:
What happened in 1984?

Xx

It's a book everyone should read but I don't think this generation will read it because it's too long I need shorts

I don't know about this, but Ycee is not 29 years please... 1993 is not 29 years mr blogger.
As a writer, you should verify every information first.

Following black american women online is something else. They are so weird...90% single mothers with tattoos everywhere. With weird english.

Mariangeles:
What happened in 1984?

Xx

1984 is a book by George Orwell.

Try and read it. All about govt control

Ycee is not 29 years old, he is 33. Rushing to post unverified information is another reflection of the olodo uprising.

Mariangeles:
What happened in 1984?

Xx

1984 Is a novel by George Orwell, set in a (alternate future) dystopian England where the people are ruled by a dictatorial government that controls what they know and how they know it.

When people say that we are bringing 1984 to reality, what they mean is that the 'elites' of the world are keeping people distracted by entertainament and other frivolous things, rather than letting them have knowledge, and thus the means to change their circumstances which would be to the disadvantage of the 'elite'

ruggedtimi:
Following black american women online is something else. They are so weird...90% single mothers with tattoos everywhere. With weird english.

That English is called AAVE


https://www.tiktok.com/video/7626184201443872014

The history behind it is white man control to the black in America. That's their pidgin


https://www.tiktok.com/video/7102272736457739566

SixSeven:
1984 is upon us again. It is to the government's benefit that there are many ignorant people. They are the easiest to control.

The intellectuals would ask too many questions and we don't want that. I just posted a few days on the 90s to 2000s thread that music lost its consciousness in the 90s and I joked that why won't the politicians who oppress you be dancing with you when they know the lyrics to the songs these days are meaningless and do not ask them questions

I think that world society increasingly resembles Huxley's Brave New World, rather than Orwell's 1984

On point. Everybody seems to be dancing on social media now, any little thing they mount camera and start dancing, the next thing they do is to turn to the other side and show their bum bum nothing interesting about their content.

Those who are selling things also are not left out, you will see someone selling clothes and the next thing is they will start showing there waist or b**bs just to entice customers,

This young generation has nothing to write about , every little girl in secondary school is thinking about how to have his own boyfriend or how to have the latest iPhone just to do what ?just to start dancing on tiktok , bringing out Thier tongue and giving you all this seduction style even the decent ones has started doing it just to feel among.

So what can the government do to checkmate this situation , they have to bring out a policy that crack down on all these kind of videos, encourage education because as it is now nobody wants to go to school again , like they said school is scam.

The generation is getting dumber every single day with no future things to think about only to mount ring light , rant about sex talk, gossip and fake lifestyle.

I pity the unborn , their own go worst if the government don't do something.

Peller is a reminder to them that school is scam, because all he does everyday is to beg for money on live stream, begging for lion and likes all they and you see dumb people watching them and giving them money, they can't start up a business or run a company na too buy expensive cars from the begi begi money.

ruggedtimi:
Following black american women online is something else. They are so weird...90% single mothers with tattoos everywhere. With weird english.

SixSeven:
That English is called AAVE

English as a language has several dialects,most of which are weird.

America in particular, there are all sorts of dialects of english there among the whites alone that would sound strange and funny and indechiperable to Nigerians

Also, our Nigerian accent is considered weird too.

Weird English

ruggedtimi:
Following black american women online is something else. They are so weird...90% single mothers with tattoos everywhere. With weird english.

it's the weird English for me LOL

nairalanda1:
I think that world society increasingly resembles Huxley's Brave New World, rather than Orwell's 1984

You are quite correct. I read of a shooting recently and what was the shooter against? Too much pleasure, he was against porn,
claimed to be fighting a violent war against modern consumer capitalism and the destruction of traditional human relationships.

I would say tech was the biggest influence to today's culture. I think we'll look back at Y2K now and start connecting the dots. Maybe if we had down votes, society may have seen some ideas that did not make sense but look at how everything has been reduced to tech algorithm, including 5 stars. Less quality, more quantity.


https://www.tiktok.com/video/7561873322334604575

This whole rapmoney take is completely ridiculous and idealistic. The writer is looking at the world through a textbook lens, completely forgetting that social media and entertainment exist for escapism. People deal with real-life stress every day; they log online to switch off their brains, not to read academic papers.

The writer fails to understand that even our supposed institutions of higher learning are churning out quacks who act no better than the internet stars they criticize. Look at a top science university like FUTO professors, lecturers, and students alike believing in a "miracle water-producing tree." If our top academics are pushing half-baked theories and falling for unverified myths, it proves a degree doesn't automatically equal critical thinking. Intellectualism is not for the majority, and it never will be, anywhere in the world.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: Nigerians whether intellectuals, highly educated, or completely uneducated all act the exact same way. The corruption, fraud, and tendency to cut corners cut across all levels of education. Having a degree doesn't change anyone's moral compass.

The sudden hate for creators like Peller is mostly just financial envy. Many educated people cannot attain his level of financial success despite their "good English" and degrees, so they direct their frustration at him under the guise of moral superiority.

Personally, I wouldn't allow my own kids to watch his content, but we cannot take away his hard work, consistency, and dedication. The truth is, many of the people complaining cannot even put a fraction of the time, stamina, and effort Peller puts into his craft into their own actual jobs.

Social media runs on an attention economy. He figured it out and worked hard for it. Stop hiding jealousy behind "intellectualism."

GracieX3:
1984 is a book by George Orwell.

Try and read it. All about govt control

Okay. Thanks.

nairalanda1:
1984 Is a novel by George Orwell, set in a (alternate future) dystopian England where the people are ruled by a dictatorial government that controls what they know and how they know it.

When people say that we are bringing 1984 to reality, what they mean is that the 'elites' of the world are keeping people distracted by entertainament and other frivolous things, rather than letting them have knowledge, and thus the means to change their circumstances which would be to the disadvantage of the 'elite'

It should be an interesting read.

SixSeven:
It's a book everyone should read but I don't think this generation will read it because it's too long I need shorts

One chapter a day will make a difference, at least.
With so many distractions around.

nairalanda1:
English as a language has several dialects,most of which are weird.

America in particular, there are all sorts of dialects of english there among the whites alone that would sound strange and funny and indechiperable to Nigerians

Also, our Nigerian accent is considered weird too.

Yes, but in this case what he calls weird is the words they formed for themselves. It is like how we use certain words and though it is English, outsiders will not understand the meaning. A simple "okay" can have different meanings the way Indians nod their head without agreeing

Mariangeles:
One chapter a day will make a difference, at least.
With so many distractions around.

. You know the irony? We have so many resources today but the distractions are more than them. For instance, I am very sure the audio version is available but our brains are too fried and we want the next dopamine hit, not a book that takes time to process. Boring 💤

Even nl is part of the problem

Glorifying them on fp

SixSeven:
. You know the irony? We have so many resources today but the distractions are more than them. For instance, I am very sure the audio version is available but our brains are too fried and we want the next dopamine hit, not a book that takes time to process. Boring 💤

Most, if not all, are guilty of lack of patience to read.
If you want to get people to "read" nowadays, turn it into a movie.

femi4:
Even nl is part of the problem

Glorifying them on fp

Another angle to it too. Even the mods, bots and Seun are not anywhere different too.

Oya bots do your thing.

Below is the summary for lazy readers. You are welcome:


A few days ago, rapper YCee sparked widespread debate after stating on a podcast that Nigerian internet culture rewards ignorance, controversy, and viral content more than intelligence, creativity, and academic excellence.

Key Points

YCee's comments were about a broader societal problem, not a personal attack on Peller.

Nigerian social media often gives more attention to gossip, nudity, and sensational content than to innovation, education, or scientific achievements.

Genuine accomplishments by young inventors, researchers, or innovators receive little public support and quickly fade from public attention.

Many people are more willing to financially support viral influencers than talented young people creating solutions that could benefit society.

The author argues that this online culture encourages mediocrity instead of excellence and discourages intellectual growth.

The trend of sexualized content on social media is described as an imported cultural influence rather than a traditional Nigerian value.

The popularity of viral entertainers compared with the lack of recognition for inventors illustrates what society chooses to celebrate.


Conclusion

The article argues that YCee's message goes beyond Peller or any individual. It is a call for Nigerians to reflect on how their online culture rewards mediocrity over knowledge, innovation, and meaningful achievement, and to rethink the values they promote through their attention and engagement.

Truly, ycee is right on peller, how the guy became internet sensation is still a mystery,

But the owners of Facebook, tik tok , insta, Twitter etc are not complaining, why is ycee crying more than the bereaved.
Pls ycee and his likes shld rest in peace jorrr..
Social media is quiet big enough to contain every person out there.
Before you quote me , mind you that I don't even follow peller and his likes on social media, I follow those whom I believe their content actually worth it. You want them to start stealing, when they can easily make fortune from social media to feed themselves and their families.
Ycee go to hell if e pain you.