Meek Mill's Music Video Shoot At Jubilee House Divides Ghanaian Experts
Meek Mill arrived in Ghana last December into the welcoming arms of the Ghanaian public. He had fun, performed at the last of the Afro Nation concert and then caused a stir by shooting a music video at the Jubilee House for what critics say is a profane rap song. Although he has apologised for the video shoot after a backlash, the incident has raised serious concerns. Three experts comment on the implications of the video shoot.
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Meek Mill took everyone by surprise. It is unlikely that anyone had very high expectations of a ‘gangster’ rapper from the streets of Philadelphia, but still the stunt he pulled inside the Jubilee House was a stunner.
And while the low-rated rapper’s video shoot at the seat of Ghana’s government for a haphazardly-sampled beat and lyric has gotten a few backers, the criticisms have been louder. The backers ask: “what is wrong with Meek Mill using locations at the Jubilee House already 'exposed' many times in public photos for a video shoot?”. Others hold the view that the music video boosts the country’s tourism interests.
Many of the criticisms about the video have also been emotional – informed significantly by the surprise in seeing a first-ever rap music video shoot at the presidency. But there have been some reasoned perspectives about the incident.
Source: Getty Images
First, there are security concerns about the video shoot that exposes the interior, corridor and compound of the Jubilee House to the public, in some cases with a drone. Are these concerns much ado about nothing? Is there a benefit for Ghana in all these?
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Is the brouhaha over Meek Mill's video exaggerated?
George Quaye, a brands, communications and PR expert, sees nothing wrong with the music video shoot at the Jubilee House other than the fact that the rapper wore what he called a shabby T-shirt and shorts to see the president.
“Honestly if you asked me, I cannot point out exactly what Meek did wrong beyond dressing ‘shabbily’ to see our president,” he tells YEN.com.gh.
Even here, the popular radio presenter and movie producer thinks dressing well and underdressing is all a matter of perspective.
“Who defines what look is appropriate when going to see the president? Is there a standard dress code? Or is all left to one’s ‘moral’ judgement? What fashion style is really appropriate?” George Quaye added.
There is nothing wrong with Meek Mill’s video shoot
To Quaye, the Philly rapper saw an opportunity to shoot a video at the highest-ranked location in Ghana and took it – mainly for bragging rights.
“If I were a musician and I went to the White House and saw an opportunity to shoot a video, would I? Hell yes! So, the question is, who allowed him to? Did the person seek the necessary clearance? Did the person interrogate the lyrics as the police would interrogate your script before giving you a uniform for your shoot?” he quizzed further.
Meek Mill’s music video shoot at Jubilee House raises security concerns
But from the security perspective, Adib Saani, a security analyst, thinks Meek Mill’s Jubilee House video shoot was a disaster.
The foreign policy analyst has told YEN.com.gh that from the snippets of the video that has been circulated on social media, Meek Mill inexplicably got unfettered access to presidency.
“The unregulated access to the banquet hall, ceremonial room and other parts of the seat of government made the majestic edifice very vulnerable. Anything, could be planting of bugs, could have happened,” he said.
To Adib Saani's mind, the use of a drone by Meek Mill on the compound of the security installation posed a major risk to the security of the state.
He said the drone did not belong to the state and could have inadvertently captured portions of the Jubilee House that were not meant to be seen by just anyone.
“The whole issue exposes some dark truths about the security of the president. It makes me wonder whether the President's security team and handlers are up to the task,” he quizzed.
He has called for those responsible for the fiasco to be fired or reassigned because the incident had exposed what he said was monumental incompetence.
Meek Mill was not given clearance to shoot video at Jubilee House
Although Meek Mill said he got approval from the presidency to shoot the video, a massive backlash from a section of the Ghanaian public over the incident compelled him to delete the video on social media and to later apologise.
The presidency, on the hand, claimed on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, that the rapper was not granted permission to shoot the music video at the seat of Ghana’s government.
The director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, Akwasi Awua Ababio, said the video was taken on their blind side. Ababio told the media that no one was unaware that the rapper had recorded any visuals during his visit there.
The denial from the presidency mirrored a line from Meek Mill's music video: "it’s all on you Meek Mill! You deceived us, you screwed up."
Source: Twitter
Meek Mill's profane music video denigrates the Jubilee House
To other critics, the main problem with Meek Mill's music video is that it contains profane lyrics.
There is an infamous line in the song where Meek brags about a lady offering to go bed to with him immediately she set eyes on him. It is devastating that those lyrics coincided with a part of the video where the rapper stands behind the presidential podium.
Ameyaw Debrah, a leading entertainment critic in Ghana, is convinced that the lyrics of the rap song are inconsistent with the respect accorded the seat of Ghana's government.
"The Jubilee House is an iconic place and if you are doing a song and you want to put it in it must reflect so that it tells the story...of Ghana or the story of how even it [the Jubilee House] is," he tells YEN.com.gh.
Read also
Those responsible for Meek Mill’s fiasco at Jubilee House must be sacked – Ablakwa wades in
Meek Mill teaches Ghana a lesson
The Meek Mill debacle, whether you were on his side or not is a lesson in how to better organise a grand event that can put Ghana on the map as the right tourist destination.
“It’s so sad that after such a great month which could have been crowned with reportage from that beautiful concert at the Black Star Square, a typical ‘one bad nut spoils the whole’ situation has arguably ‘milled’ the shine off that Blackstar Line Concert and possibly all the other great initiatives,” George Quaye, a brands expert, wrote in a Facebook post.
In his view, Meek Mill’s incident represents a major anti-climax for a great 2022 for Ghana.
He has this advice for people close to the presidency:
“The Presidency is eminent! It is the highest office of our land. If those around the president and the office as a whole do not hold it in high esteem…If they do not jealously guard and protect it like the way the IGP would protect a police uniform, then we are doomed!”
The Meek Mill incident exposed the lack of consistent and robust protocol, delivered professionally, at the Jubilee House.
Shouldn't there be a “presidential attire”, a Khaftan or suit, designed by Ghanaian designers on hand to prevent shorts-wearing types like Meek Mill from sending the wrong optics?
But in everything, there is a lesson to be learnt. Lessons are a great way to develop. The lessons in the Meek Mill incident are poignant, and must not be overlooked. They must make us meek to our failings as a people to enable progress.
Parliament Summons National Security Minister To Explain How Meek Mill Shot Video At Jubilee House
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that Parliament will in the coming days summon the National Security Minister before it over the Meek Mill video saga.
Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga has said the meeting will learn at firsthand how the American rapper was given access to the Jubilee House.
He says the security of the president could have been easily compromised by the action of Meek Mill.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
