Drug abuse controversy: Olamide breaks silence

Popular rapper, Olamide, has addressed the controversies that have trailed the release of his new single, Science Student, especially as it is perceived to promote drug abuse.

The YBNL boss, who has been silent on the issue all the while, issued an explanation via an Instagram post on Monday.

The singer said the song was meant to preach against drug abuse and encourage responsible alcohol consumption among youth.

Olamide also revealed that the video of the song will be released soon.

A section of Nigerians accused Olamide of subtly endorsing drug abuse while others view the song as a satire.

Some celebrities have also spoken against the message behind the song.

Without mentioning names or songs, actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju, recently spoke on “the encouragement and promotion to use hard drugs and get ‘high’ under the influence in the name of song and dance,” saying “it is disturbing”.

A former filmmaker and Edo State gubernatorial aspirant, Pedro Obaseki, also joined in the call for the ban of song on Sunday.

The celebrated filmmaker made this assertion in a recent video, which has also been circulating on social media.

He said, “We should get hold of Olamide and make him the ambassador of good behaviour for children because we cannot be buying his record and clicking on his links only for our children to be the ones at the receiving end of his apostate pronouncements and crusade,” he said.

“This is enough. Enough is enough. I don’t only speak as a Nigerian; I speak as an investor in the Nigerian entertainment content sector. God bless Nigeria and please let’s beg Olamide to pull that video down and change that song. That is a song that is going to be a nail on the coffin of the future of our children. God bless Nigeria.”

Olamide rendered his verses and sang the chorus in Yoruba language but nonetheless the catchy beat and dance moves have made the track a hit.

While no ban is yet out, Science Student has continued to trend as the artiste has continued to promote of the song.

Not a stranger to controversies, in August, he stood the risk of a N3 million fine and one-year jail term for promoting the use of tobacco in his music video titled ‘Wo’.

The federal ministry of health had notified the public via a series of tweets that the rapper had violated the 2015 tobacco act, warning that the video had “dangerous public health content”.

Olamide also responded on his Twitter page saying, “No intentions of promoting tobacco to get people killed. “I love my people, I love my country, one love, one Nigeria #ClearTheAir Oya Wo!”

See the translation of the song below: