Don Decries Immorality In Naija Hip-Hop Genre

Dr Albert Oikelome, a lecturer at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos on Thursday said that hip-hop music genre had promoted immorality and indecency in Nigeria.

Oikelome told newsmen in Lagos that there was a missing link between contemporary Nigerian music hip-hop and the grand oldies of the 1960s and the 1970s.

“Our local and classical traditional orchestras, highlife songs which define the nation’s music industry are no more. Proverbial songs and sounds filled with gongs and lyrics with words of wisdom are missing.

“They were the kind of music which thrills us so much so that we forget our political problems and socio-economic inequalities,” he said.

He lamented that the trend had been swallowed up by a strong music genre called “Naija hip- hop’’.

He, however, said that the youths patronising the hip-hop genre have redefined the old tunes in the music.

“Unfortunately, the youths appreciate hip-hop music more than the adults who still prefer the old school tunes,” Oikelome said.

The lecturer noted that there had been a growing concern on the negative impact of the hip-hop music on youths in the country.

He further said that in spite of the seeming financial success and popularity of the musicians, hip- hop culture has been frequently condemned for its exploitation of women nudity.

He regretted that most of the hip-hop and rap genre artistes have a lot of vulgarity, sexual resonance, preposterous violence, drugs and good-time symbolism.

Oikelome stressed that the sexual content in hip-hop movies and songs “leaves much to be desired”.

He gave examples of some of the vulgar languages which evolved from Naija hip-pop as “ Ori e ofoka sibe”, ‘hotter than fire”, and “enter the place.”

“The songs also glorify the get-rich quick syndrome called 419 and the reason is because the marketers and music promoters in the country want to make money,” he said.

Oikelome added that they employed all means to achieve this, like their counterparts in the developed countries.

He said that it was regrettable that the sexual exploitation in hip-hop was being done with the consent and collaboration of women who are mostly undergraduates, who got peanuts for doing that.

The don, however, commended some hip-hop musicians for positively  promoting Nigeria in the international music scene.

He gave examples of such musicians as Innocent Idibia a.k.a Tuface, Abolore Akande—  a.k.a. 9ice, Chibuzor Orji and others.