WCB President Diamond Platnumz has come under heavy criticism for displaying Confederate flags in his new music video.
The flags were first pointed out by Tanzanian rapper Wakazi, who asked the musician to edit out the scene which risks a backlash from Diamond’s American fans and allies.
Confederate flags have been associated with oppressors of the black people of the United States, and Platnumz having them displayed in his video makes him appear as an advocate.
In one of the scenes on the Gidi music video, Diamond is dressed as a cowboy with two of the Confederate flags hanging over him as he dances.
In his message, Wakazi who is among renowned opinion shapers in Tanzania, advised Chibu Dangote to do away with the scene.
He also raised the question of whether Diamond had been aware of the disparaging symbolism of the flags or they had been sinisterly added without his knowledge.
Wakazi further asked African artistes to get well-acquainted with the cultures of the world before borrowing from them in their art. He acknowledged it as a good way to appeal to a larger audience but cautioned that such slip-ups may be counterproductive.
“Diamond pasipo kudhamiria au kujua, anaweza jikuta connection yake yote ya Marekani akaipoteza kwa kitu kidogo tu kama hicho kibendera! If possible anaweza edit the video, au kuombea wasione na wasizingatie, maana frankly speaking market kubwa bado ni huku kwetu ambako hatujui wala hatujali. Ni ushauri tu… I’m just a messenger
“(Diamond could lose all his connections in America over such a small detail as a flag. If possible, he can edit the video or issue a clarification saying that it was not intentional, frankly speaking, the market for Diamond’s music still remains largely us and many of us don’t know about the flag and it really doesn’t hold any meaning for us. It’s just my advice… I’m just a messenger),” said Wakazi.
The song Gidi was first performed by Diamond on Grammys’ new program dubbed Global Spin, on February 8, 2022.
Global Spin is a performance series spotlighting global music and international artists, and East Africa was lucky to have Platnumz as its first representative.
