6/09/2005

Ludacris shows Africa some love

Ludacris featuring Bobby Valentino
Pimping around the world.
I mentioned the song on this post when we were discussing the chasm between africans and african americans. To recap, it was because of a line at the end of the rap"...ain't no need of even askin brah, the best women all reside in Africa, and that's real".
I was jazzed by this video. He features authentic African dances, which were amazing. To watch the video, (sorry i cant find a link to the vid online right now, give it afew days, hopefully it will be available on MTV.com). According to Africanhiphop.com, the vid was shot in South Africa, specifically the Lion Park, the Zimbali lodge and the Sibaya casino on the Kwa zulu natal coast. On Luda, the shield, the safari suit that has African accents on it, The t-shirt he was wearing had a message on it about culture and the past, I couldn’t quite read all of it. If you see it again please let me know what is written on his t-shirt, it was a nice quote, that I could gather.
He chose to focus the video on the African aspect, the other locations in the world were shown as postcard stills.
Also according to Africanhiphop.com, the model featured Mathapelo Maimane, a part of the local production crew (He declined to use American models).
I am loving what he did with this.
I think the African American market has not been fully tapped as a source of tourism dollars. Americans watch a lot of TV, probably rivaling our very own NG…but hey, watch as more African Americans get curious and go to SA.
Kenya Tourism authority had better call Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Prez, The neptunes etc and offer them tickets to do a video in Kenya.(My mind is racing thinking of the possibilities!) Confluence of cultures, I love it.
To vote for the vid on BET click here
Msanii what do you think?
Side notes
*There is a group called Fatty Koo with a song called ‘Bounce’.On the bet site its highlighted as 'Blowin up, Fatty Koo'. Damn, Fatty Koo?
*Surfergirl on the Brad Pitt interview on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer.
*Bush, Blair, Africa, Aid and John Stewart. Click here for clip from crooks and liars.

10 Comments:

Blogger akiey said...

I absolutely love this new Luda video. You got it right that it's shot in S.Africa with local models & Luda does give lots of love to the continent & it's people.
I think the trip he made there(MTV's Diary of Ludacris) opened him up to the beautiful Motherland & like Will Smith said on 106 & Park recently:"There isn't anything they don't have back home in Africa". About time narrow-minded people stopped getting images of from from the disgusting Dicovery Channel.

Like Toronto giving tax breaks to movies (very many recent succesful movies are shot there)Kenya can do the same for both movies & music videos as a tool to market itself....if only our DC embassy staff woke up.

Afromusing, see how you got people brainstorming already!?:)

6/09/2005 7:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i have not seen the video yet..
but it sounds like it was nice one. thanks for posting afromusing

6/10/2005 8:59 AM  
Blogger Afromusing said...

@akiey...you know!Tax breaks is a great idea! Each time Luda's vid is played on BET they mention that it was filmed in South Africa! Publicity for SA! SA has been really good at promoting itself as a destination, i think i saw some ads on tv.
@msanii, when u catch a glimpse let us know.

6/10/2005 4:46 PM  
Blogger wg-k said...

great idea about the tax breaks! SA is doing well promoting itself. And I am hearing about SA more on American television. For instance, on the just ended season of America's Next Top Model - Tyra Banks' show, the show was in SA for like 3 weeks. The models actually got to go see the cell Mandela was held in. I will look out for the Ludacris video as I haven't seen it as yet.

6/13/2005 5:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I watched the Luda in SA on MTV video diary. It is brilliant he kept his word to go back and do some business and show some love. In the video diary he went to an AIDS awareness meeting in Soweto and there was a sign reading "This is a gun free zone" it drove home the point that we share some problems. Getting shot in Soweto is s just as much of a reality as getting shot in the hood. I think it made him realise that he shares the same fears as the kids and that we are not that different.

6/13/2005 6:37 PM  
Blogger Afromusing said...

wg-k,thanks for bringing that up. Didnt watch that episode...we definitely need to get our act together. Are there any ads about kenya in the UK? I will have to go fish out something i wrote 2 years ago about marketing countries.

Mental: Nodding...we aren't that different.
i hope everyone voted for him on the link!

6/13/2005 7:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To add to this, Kenya should take advantage of the Web & out its beautiful, talented & gifted self out there for all to appreciate. Maybe as a country we could learn a thing or two Damon 'Dame' Dash, former co-founder of Rocafella Records & also owner of veery many other succesful companies.
He's just a young black guy who does what he has to do to get his company names out there. Heck, I consider him one my biggest inspirations & he's one guy I can gladly talk business & street stuff knowing we'll motivate one another.

Kenya has a lot to offer & if we don't create opportunities for ourselves as a country, then we'll keep feeling bad that we were left out in the recent debt relief plan...Btw, we're considered a well-off country by many so why the tears by or gov't!?

6/14/2005 5:41 PM  
Blogger akiey said...

Pole Afromusing...that Lamoket above is akiey, donnoh what's up with blogspot today...signing me in by my other website's name...tsk,tsk.

6/14/2005 5:44 PM  
Blogger Kishawi said...

Hey, said Tshirt has a picture of Marcus Garvey on it so I'm assuming said quote was his. You might find it somewhere here.

6/28/2005 1:01 AM  
Blogger Afromusing said...

kishawi asante sana!!

7/05/2005 4:36 PM  

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