ONCE again Malaysia did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup, taking place this year in Qatar – a fact which is not without its own controversies.
Fortunately, or not (if you’re not a fan), local controversial rapper/hip-hop impresario Namewee has come out with a track and music video celebrating all the nations (and ladies) coming together to watch some footie in the desert, titled ‘Ya Gamila (Hey Pretty)’.
Almost serving as a travelogue or tourism commercial for Qatar with well shot scenes and sequences all over the desert nation, the music video starts out with the call to prayer – a bit cliche because that’s how Western movies and shows establish a Middle Eastern or “foreign” setting.
The rest of the approximately four minute track (the video has an additional minute of comedic bits), is a joke track of someone thinking of converting to Islam while dressed up in Arabic garb to earn the affection of various pretty ladies.
Dropping various Islamic greetings and phrases into his flow has earned Namewee criticism from the usual crowd. The repetitive use of assalamulaikum, alhamdulillah, and Allah – which local authorities have prohibited for use by non-Muslim Malaysians – in between wooing nicely dressed women, who probably aren’t even Muslim themselves, has earned him some ire.
The 39-year-old multi-hyphenate (recording artist, composer, filmmaker and actor) native of Muar, Johor has found himself in hot water with Malaysian authorities before for insulting Islam. Most famously he received a lot of flak for his film ‘Babi’, which earned some nominations from international awards bodies.
That being said, ‘Ya Gamila (Hey Pretty)’, which has earned 2.9 million views and more than 2,700 in the last 12 days, has received a mostly positive response if the comments to the YouTube video are anything to go by.
Commenters from around the world, including Muslim fans, are impressed by his ability to go back and forth between Arabic and English with a sprinkling of Malay and Chinese words and phrases. Despite the jokiness of the whole thing, it’s kind of a celebration of multiculturalism. – The Vibes, November 17, 2022
