CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: HIP-HOP MUSIC AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CRITICISM IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF MR FOLARIN FALANA'S SONG "THIS IS NIGERIA"

Abstract

The social and political system in Nigeria has remained essentially the same since its formal inception under the colonial administration at the end of world war ll. Governance and political leadership in Nigeria have been driven by self-interest and other primordial considerations, which take priority over that of the public interest. This development, led to many Nigerian youths embracing hip-hop music as it became a fast-growing genre where musicians tends to create art that reflected the reality of their lives, of the neighbourhoods around them, and of the wider social circumstances in which they found themselves. In addition, with the increase in demand for hip-hop music, hip-hop is rapidly becoming a dominant culture among Nigerian youths as a vehicle of social critique and global inter-connectivity in the public sphere. While incorporating elements from their own local cultures to appeal to local or cultural sensibilities, hip-hop musicians have found a platform for getting their messages and ideas across to local audiences through music. Therefore, this paper examines how Nigerian youths as a vital tool of resistance and a powerful voice for social and political change deploy hip-hop. Using the Nigerian hip-hop scene and the critical analysis of the music of MrFolarinFalani (Falz), the genre as believed by Nigerian youths will be used to affect a change in a country riddled with corruption and abuse of public office.

Keywords: Hip-hop music, MrFolarinFalana's song, Nigeria, Social and political system.