Olamide: Our Culture Is Not Evil

Nigerian rapper Olamide Adedeji, known as Badoo, has urged Nigerians to embrace their cultural heritage. He insists that African traditions should not be seen as evil or something to be ashamed of.

Olamide shared these thoughts while showing pride in his Yoruba background. He called for more respect for Nigerian culture and traditions.

"Our culture and tradition are not diabolical, and they are not to be demonised. We’re proud of who we are, where we’re coming from and everything about our heritage, tradition and culture," he said.

Switching to Yoruba, he used black soap, called ose dudu, to make his point.

"I’m a Yoruba boy," he said. "If you give me black soap, I’ll gladly collect it and use it."

Olamide made these comments on Tuesday, November 3, at The Pod by Nile Luxury Cinemas. A video of his speech was shared on Sotayo’s Instagram page on Wednesday.

Dressed in a bright adire outfit, he talked about cultural identity and how traditional African practices are viewed. The rapper often includes Yoruba language, expressions and indigenous sounds in his music.

He blends traditional storytelling with modern hip-hop and Afrobeats. His artists, Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh, and Asake, also use local languages and sounds in their songs. This helps showcase Nigerian heritage to a wider audience.

His remarks have brought attention to larger discussions about how traditional African practices are viewed. This is especially true when cultural beliefs are seen through the lens of superstition or spirituality.

Black soap, or ose dudu among the Yoruba, is a natural skincare product made from ingredients like plantain skins, cocoa pods and palm kernel oil. It is popular for skincare, but some people connect it to spiritual practices.