UNDERSTANDING RICK ROSS HOLD ME BACK (NIGERIA)
Rick Ross’ Hold Me Back is one of those social commentary musicals that ought to be taken very seriously. Though Hold Me Back is rendered in rap, a music genre that is supposedly regarded by some people as less creative and uplifting but it has not in any way diminished its powerful message. Due to the excessive use of curse words and other expletives, rap is one musical format that most “serious” listeners would be less inclined to listen to. Some people have argued that rap is successful today amongst a certain listening audience because it came to an age and audience that, due to its attitude, seem to be less creative and contemplative. But having lasted this long on the scene it may never matter very much what some people think about rap.
Rap is here with us and can no more be ignored completely by the so-called “serious” listeners. Considering its relative success in capturing a significant part of the human society which has helped to sustain the players in the field with reasonable fortune and fame, it can only be ignored at the risk of ignoring a significant part of the human race. Like everything else in life, it only takes one or a few creative and innovative minds to elevate even supposedly low things to respectable heights. Innovative and creative minds will always find ways to use the base things to shock and arouse the consciousness and conscience of an insensitive world.
Rick Ross seems to have succeeded in doing just that with his Hold Me Back. The Biafran Genocide and stories of heinous injustices against Biafra have been presented to the world in several “decent” formats that should have served to cause the world to act collectively to ask why and try to correct its mistakes towards a large part of our common humanity. But for some inexplicable reasons the world remains unconcerned about Biafra. But it doesn’t really matter how anyone looks at it, Biafra and Biafra Genocide will continue to occupy an important and very disturbing place on the conscience of the world. Biafra is among those discomforting incidents that occurred in our collective past that cannot be wished away. Maybe ignored, even denied by some unscrupulous and mischievous elements but like an inconvenient truth that Biafra truly is, she will keep coming back to prick the world’s collective conscience until justice is finally done.
3.1 million Biafrans were murdered and it does not matter how long it has taken but Biafra will continue to dog our world till collectively it turns around to look again at that sordid dark night on the history of the world with a firm resolve to execute an overdue justice. The recently released American rap artist Rick Ross’ Hold Me Back seems to be one of those significant ways the world is trying to save itself from this destructive path of apathy and insensitivity of its self-inflicted pains of selective and voluntary amnesia about Biafra. The distended stomach and sepulchral skeletal frames of starved and dying Biafra’s children will continue to haunt a world that failed Biafrans at their neediest moment. Many people get quite uncomfortable whenever Biafra comes up because it is no doubt one of those worst human disasters that could have been easily avoided if the world had wanted. But for several “reasons” Britain and all of humanity allowed Biafra and the best thing Britain and others can do today is to face Biafra and correct the mistake. One incontestable truth is that the world cannot run forever from the ghost of Biafra.
Rick Ross’ Hold Me Back scenes are set in Lagos Nigeria. The mistake of Biafra began in Lagos in 1966 when the British ambassador talked Nigeria’s Yakubu Gowon into embarking on one of the worst genocidal, ethnic/religious cleansing disastrous journeys of all time. Nigeria with the active support of Great Britain committed the worst genocide on the African continent in Biafra. Hold Me Back starts with the ending of Biafra War which ends in January 1970. A foreign (American) TV news caster announces the end of the war with a background picture that depicts the maps of Biafra and Nigeria and the overriding caption that says Secession Ended, Biafra.
Biafra War was a war of secession no doubt but more especially a war of Self Determination, self-preservation and self-government. It was the war fought by a people that wanted, and from all indications still want to survive as a decent and dignified part of the human race. Biafrans fought a fierce battle to keep themselves from being wiped out of the face of the Earth by the combined forces of Nigeria, Great Britain, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, Egypt and Arab/Islamic world. Since May 30, 1967, the day of Biafra’s declaration of independence, Biafra has dignified the word secession so much that anyone who secedes from any relationship that resembles the situation in the Nigerian union has every good reason to be proud of his action. Secession, rebellion, national division, separation, disintegration in the Biafra – Nigeria context become the most positive and prestigious words in English language. These words serve as badges of the highest and greatest honor to every living or dead Biafran and all people everywhere that love freedom and self-determination the Biafran way.
The Biafran spirit is that spirit that makes anyone to choose to die rather than live in bondage or in any form of citizenship relationship in the Nigerian union. It is the spirit that abhors and fights against one-Nigeria or any such thing elsewhere in the world. To a Biafran there can never be a more prestigious and honorable spirit than those that fight even to death against the idea and spirit of one-Nigeria. The fight against the unity of one-Nigeria is the fight against genocide, pogrom, ethnic/religious cleansing and intolerance, forced subjugation, forced social-marriage relationship and all crimes against humanity. A fight for the disintegration of Nigeria is the most justified of all fights and should be the greatest source of pride and patriotism by all who (and everyone is supposed to) engage in such honorable venture.
The foreign announcer on the TV in Hold Me Back video ends by reporting that more than 2 million Biafrans have died while over 4 million others are dying of starvation and being slaughtered by Nigeria’s federal troop. His announcement is followed by that of Nigeria’s leader who starts by saying that they fought a long bitter battle that ended in “victory for common sense and the unity of Nigeria”. Interestingly the Nigerian leader in the clip clearly expressed satisfaction on the outcome of genocide and ethnic/religious cleansing! But nothing could have distorted the truth, logic and common sense than the Nigerian leader’s statement. All critics have since come to agree that nothing can be more commonsensical than the fact that Nigeria can never be a united country. All people everywhere have long agreed that nothing makes more sense today and always than the disintegration of one-Nigeria. Most critics have argued that Nigeria’s unity does not worth the smallest piece of sacrifice that has ever been invested in it.
The video could not have better depicted the truth of the total darkness and utter hopelessness that is a “victory” for Nigeria’s unity. In the brief seconds between the announcement of Nigeria’s “victory for commonsense and unity” and when Rick’s voice comes on, the screen goes black for a period that seems interminable. A sense of foreboding, hopelessness and unsettling anxiety grips the listener just before the singer’s voice comes on to reassure him. It is immediately followed by the beautiful picture of a multi-storied house surrounded by luxuriant tropical palm trees. (This part of the video depicts humanity’s ability to use the raw materials of nature to produce beauty and progress when the attitude is right). Then Rick in the typical American rapper’s fashion begins by letting the listener know that Nigeria’s victory at unifying the country as announced by its leader forever holds everyone person in Nigeria back. From Rick Ross’ song the listener can hardly miss the clear message that a Biafra that is united with Nigeria is continually held back. By extension, the rest of humanity is held back every minute that Nigeria remains one country.
In the typical rapper’s protest and defiance, Rick Ross goes on and on insisting that these niggers (Nigeria) will not hold him back in the senselessness that is one-Nigeria. Following the high rise picture is a road sign in Lagos Nigeria that has a double Exit signs at the bottom. (This seems to mean that the bottom-line of every argument about Nigeria is for all the entrapped peoples in one-Nigeria to take the advantage of the many exit signs of Self Determination available to all to form separate countries). Soon after, there is the picture of the angelic slayer of the serpent who with a spear is smashing the head of the cunning snake, and then flashes the words – A billion reasons to believe in Africa. There are several reasons to believe in Africa and all believers must start by smashing the head of Africa’s Demon through whose much cunning have continued to succeed in holding Africa back.
For those that long for Africa to break free and take off on her way to progress and greatness, her present political/social map must be redrawn by the indigenous peoples to correct the colossal mistakes of the colonial countries of Africa. Secondly, the peoples of Africa must get to understand themselves better and by that knowledge become more inward looking and self-reliant, especially in the way they believe and worship. Africans must drastically scale down in their adoption of foreignness in religion and culture. The singer Rick Ross warns the listener against this when pictures of blight and squalid Nigeria is followed by those of Muslims praying and performing ablutions. Black Africa has been long held back by the corrupting and retrogressive influences of the Arabian/Islamic culture, and like the American rapper, all the indigenous peoples of Africa must rise up to resist and fight back. In the video too is the last minute picture of the Muslim suicide bomber shown as he drove his car to attack the United Nations headquarters in Nigeria where 26 UN staff were killed in August 26, 2011. By masterfully combining these iconic and historical pictures, Rick Ross makes it easy for the listener to understand that Africa, Nigeria and Biafrans are held back by such foreign retrogressive religious practices that are alien to Black Africans.
Through Hold Me Back Rick Ross makes a very powerful case for “a billion reasons” why everyone should believe in the division of Nigeria in order to set free the various nations being held back by the “victory” for the unity of one-Nigeria. Perhaps the most important part of Rick Ross’ message in Hold Me Back may be where the listener is reminded that it is God that forgives and not the human society. For the human society to survive in decency and dignity, it must never ignore any injustice anywhere and anytime. Ignoring injustices as the Biafran genocide holds everyone back. Biafrans alive today must not play God by arrogating to themselves the power to forgive the injustice of Biafra. Justice is the only perfect form of forgiveness because it helps to mitigate pains and wounds. By Britain allowing such “victory” for unity as occurred in January of 1970 against Biafra’s freedom, senselessly holds Rick Ross and all lovers’ of human progress back.
In the end, Rick Ross succeeds with his Hold Me Back in reinforcing the truth of the urgent need to divide Nigeria so that each emerging new nation can be set free from the terrible chain of one-Nigeria that has held them back till now. So long as Nigeria remains one country, everyone in it is held back. The final truth is that it is the disastrous influence of foreign culture and indolence that is holding everyone in Nigeria and Africa back and not poverty, bad governance or corrupt politicians.
Written By Osita Ebiem
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