Nigerian rapper and YBNL boss, Olamide Adedeji, has urged Nigerians to embrace their cultural heritage, insisting that African traditions should not be demonised or treated as evil.
The rapper, popularly known as Badoo, made the remarks while expressing pride in his Yoruba identity and calling for greater appreciation of indigenous cultures and traditional practices.
“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.
Speaking partly in Yoruba, Olamide used black soap, locally known as ose dudu, to illustrate his point, saying he would gladly accept and use it.
“I’m a Yoruba boy. If you give me black soap, I’ll gladly collect it and use it,” he added.
The music star made the comments on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at The Pod by Nile Luxury Cinemas. A video of his remarks was shared on Instagram by Sotayo on Wednesday.
Dressed in a colourful adire outfit, Olamide spoke about cultural identity and the negative perception sometimes attached to traditional African practices.
The rapper has consistently incorporated Yoruba language, indigenous expressions and traditional sounds into his music, combining cultural storytelling with contemporary hip-hop and Afrobeats.
Other Nigerian artistes, including his former and current label acts, have also drawn on indigenous languages and cultural influences in their music, helping to promote local heritage to wider audiences.
Black soap, known as ose dudu among the Yoruba, is a traditional skincare product commonly made from ingredients such as plantain skins, cocoa pods and palm kernel oil. Although widely used for skincare, some traditional beliefs also associate it with spiritual practices.
Olamide’s comments have renewed attention on conversations surrounding the perception of African cultural practices and the need to distinguish cultural heritage from negative stereotypes.
