I don’t know what world some artists are raised in. But, let’s get this straight people. Artist, your music is your own opinion and world perspective/view that you either authentically believe in, or fake for commercial gain. Yes it is talent but others have talent too and there are rules, even where talent is concerned so you don’t act in reckless disregard for others, particularly children.
You can’t just say because you have creative talent, everyone else (creative and non-creative) should take a back seat and you can do whatever you please. Who are you? Are you God?
At the end of the day, you’ve got talent but protecting our children comes first, before any and all talents you have. Bottom line. If you don’t like it, too bad, so sad.
Until now, I had not seen the Shoki video even though I had heard the song. I just recently saw it after receiving news that the song was banned by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the agency charged with regulating broadcast communications in Nigeria.
I reached out to Toolz, radio media personality who broke the news on twitter a few days ago, for specifics and cc’ed the director of NBC. Less than twenty four hours of doing so, NBC releases a statement stating a radio station violated the rules by playing the unedited version of the Shoki song at 9am when kids are out and about, instead of a radio clean version. So, they stopped the radio from doing so but that the song itself is not banned.
Some questions I have and maybe you all out there on the ground in Nigeria can help answer.
1. I get the position of NBC and it seems to make sense. However, does anyone know if the accompanying video is being aired on television stations in the country?
2. If so, why is NBC or applicable regulatory bodies permitting such airing? Did I miss something or do we have a little boy in that video ‘Shoking?’
3. Is this the same video with scantily clad women ‘shoking’ their booties or did I miss something?
4. I do not believe little boys should be in sexually aggressive adult videos where you have scantily clad women shaking their butts. I realize the Shoki dance is like the biggest dance across the country and also common in the diaspora BUT that is not the point. The point is why is a child in the video that includes sexually aggressive moves by adult women?
Isn’t this common sense that you don’t put kids in such videos?! Even if the shots are in different locations and then aggregated in the editing process, WHAT IS THE EXACT MESSAGE TO OUR KIDS, our boys?
Adults have to learn to behave themselves where kids are concerned and not be so commercially focused and selfish they forget the impact on kids.
5. Such unbelievable nonsense that gets unchecked in Nigeria’s entertainment industry is crazy! BY THE WAY, does anyone know, AML entertainment lawyers I am talking to you. Do you know if there are rules regulating the use of child performers in the entertainment industry in Nigeria? Also, where is Nigeria’s Child Protective Services Agency for the parents letting their child perform in this video?
Here in my neck of the woods, the entertainment capital of the USA, California, we have rules governing child performers. New York and other states have similar rules but California’s rules are the toughest. Californians do not play when it comes to protecting child actors, models, and musicians.
If Nigeria does not have a similar piece of legislation, I’d like to join forces with like minded legal colleagues there, NBC and other applicable bodies to draft such recommended piece of legislation and push that through the legislative process there. Children should not be performing in sexually aggressive videos like these. This video is actually mild compared to some of the stuff out there.
AML entertainment lawyers please email me with responses to my inquiries at (africamusiclaw@gmail.com). Thanks.
-Uduak
NBC tweeted Statement
“We at the National Broadcasting Commission can confirm there was no such ban. A club version of the song cannot be played on radio. The club version contains vulgar lyrics which was played around 9am which is considered as ‘family time’.
‘There is a broadcast code to follow by every broadcast station and this station failed to comply. This said station has been sanctioned for playing a club version during family time. We at the NBC did not ban ‘Shoki’- by Lil Kesh. We simply asked the suitable broadcast version to be played on the radio.’
The lyrics
The artist basically talks about a young woman shaking her booty and all he wants her to do is shake her booty. He then explains how exactly he would like her to shake her booty, something he calls ‘Shoki.’ Again, not necessarily an issue if it floats your boat but why the heck are little boys in the video where adult women are clad in scanty clothing shaking their booty?
