| by Osita Ebiem
( September 26,
2012, New York City, Sri Lanka Guardian) 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.
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.
( Osita Ebiem is a Biafran citizen and the Sri Lanka Guardian's special correspondent on Nigeria. He can be reached at ositaebiem@yahoo.com )
 Rick Ross’ Hold Me Back is one of those social commentary ...){kind=link}