The French rapper causing controversy in Morocco
Some social media users have been very vocal over an upcoming concert by the French rapper Booba. An online petition to cancel his concert at the Mohammed V complex in Casablanca on June 21 has gathered over 4,000 signatures from users.
The Casablanca municipal council has also been reluctant to allow the concert. They council revealed that the concert’s organizers had submitted a request for permission to the regional committee of security of the prefecture of Casablanca. However, the council committee declined the request during their meeting on March 22.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the Casablanca city council and commissioner for culture and sports, Abdellatif Nassiri, explained that the council had no involvement in the concert. He also clarified that the planned location for the event was not under the Casablanca council’s management.
In the past month, an official source from the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication report to Moroccan media that the concert was not under the ministry’s supervision. Many are now questioning whether the concert will proceed or not, particularly as various parties have disclaimed any authority over it.
Booba himself announced in a video that all tickets for the concert had already sold out upon his arrival in Morocco.
Who is Booba?
Élie Thitia Yaffa, better known as Booba, is a French rapper born on December 9, 1976, in the outskirts of Paris in Sèvres. Booba began his career in the early 1990s as a break dancer before partnering with his friend Ali to form the duo Lunatic in 1994.
Booba’s music has been praised for its high-quality flow and beats, but his controversial lyrics have also attracted criticism. He has sold over 10 million discs throughout his career, becoming the most legally downloaded artist in French history.
He has been criticized for being an apologist for easy money and murder, but he advocates for individual freedom and a reduction in taxes. Booba has also established the rap label Tallac Records and developed a line of jewelry.
