Music, they say, knows no boundaries and speaks a universal language. Over the past couple of years, we have seen some of our favorite rappers thronging the continent to shoot music videos.
A way of connecting back to their roots while also catching captivating visuals, these videos, while showing the different sides of the continent, have also gone viral, amassing millions of views.
In 2017, Moroccan-American rapper French Montana headed to Uganda with Rae Sremmurd member, Swae Lee, to shoot the video for his multi-platinum selling single, Unforgettable. With over a billion views on YouTube and still going strong, the video featured popular Ugandan dance group, Ghetto Kids.
Speaking to Billboard, the rapper opened up about why he chose Uganda and how he came across the very talented Ghetto Kids.
“I listen to a lot of African music. I was on the computer going through it, and I ran across these kids. I was a fan and I felt like I saw me in them, ’cause I grew up in Africa when I was their age. I was doing the same thing they were doing. In my head, I was playing ‘Unforgettable,'” he said.
“They were just dancing and I fell in love with it and said, “I gotta find these kids.” It was something new, it was a breath of fresh air. With having gone through living in poverty and being happy with nothing, they channel that through their dance moves and their energy. Them having no TVs and just learning how to dance, it just makes them have their own moves and their own swagger.”
With that being said, join your ultimate online destination for global black lifestyle news, Nsuri, as we take a look at nine rap videos that were either partly or fully shot on the motherland. Enjoy!
Unforgettable – French Montana ft. Swae Lee (Uganda)
Hold Me Back – Rick Ross (Nigeria)
Choosy – Fabolous ft. Davido & Jeremih (Cape Verde)
This Could Be Us – Rae Sremmurd (South Africa)
2AM – Casanova ft. Davido & Tory Lanez (Nigeria)
Pimpin’ All Over the World – Ludacris ft. Bobby Valentino (South Africa)
Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 – Talib Kweli (Nigeria)
Godzilla – Rapsody (South Africa)
Particula – Major Lazer & DJ Maphorisa ft. Nasty C, Ice Prince, Patoranking & Jidenna
