A video featuring Meek Mill went viral on social media last weekend, where the 35-year-old rapper can be seen in various locations throughout Ghana’s presidency, also known as The Jubilee House. The place is Ghana’s highest security zone and serves as the Office of the President.
According to local media, the rapper uploaded an Instagram reel late on Sunday, January 8, 2023, indicating that he will soon be releasing a new song. Meek Mill was in Ghana in December to perform at Afro-Nation festival over the Christmas holidays.
Afro Nation is one of the largest music festivals in Africa. After a three-year hiatus due to Covid, the event returned, bringing over 15,000 party people to Ghana’s capital Accra behind the historic monument of Black Star Square.
In the short video, he was at several locations throughout the presidential palace, including the facade, key hallways, the main conference hall, and afterwards in a sitting area:
However, Ghanaians are not happy with the location of his video shoot. Both the president and the rapper received backlash for shooting a music video on the grounds of Jubilee House.
Many Ghanaians claimed the video shoot violated security by allowing the rapper access to sensitive locations.
He deleted the controversial video following the heated comments from social media.
Safety Concerns
Not only are social media users protesting the idea, but Ghanaian politicians have also criticized the video.
As My Joy Online reported, the MP for North Tongu Constituency (one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana), Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa has also expressed his safety concerns about the video. In his post on Twitter, the MP called for the dismissal of those responsible for the desecration of the Jubilee House.
“All those responsible for this despicable desecration of the Jubilee House by Meek Mill must be fired immediately. How do those explicit lyrics from the president’s lectern project Ghana positively?”
A leading member of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Elikem Kotoko has questioned the government’s decision to allow American Rapper to shoot the video in the Jubilee House.
” ‘When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.’ Turkish proverb,” Elikem Kotoko tweeted.
Apologies
Following the outrage over the Jubille House video, Meek Mill has broken his silence. Early this morning, he apologized to Ghanaians on social media.
“My apologies to the people if any disrespect! We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa … what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon! My apologies to the office also!” he tweeted.
“I’m just not here for no separation of anything black … we already separated enough and don’t understand each other’s cultures … let’s used this to help fix that and not more judgement towards each other!” Meek Mill added.
“To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here,” he stated.
The Presidential Palace, also known as Golden Jubilee House, is the official residence of Ghana’s president. It was inaugurated in November 2008. This large-scale project, which cost over $40 million, sparked widespread resistance from the government’s opposition party.
The structure was built in the shape of a chopped tree and depicts modern architecture while keeping Ghana’s traditions. The Presidential Palace is located to the north of Sankara Circle.
On March 29, 2018, President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo renamed it Golden Jubilee House. Previously, it was known as The Flagstaff House.