By Ismael AbduSalaam
Queens
lyricist Nas and Compton rapper The Game have both been confirmed to perform at
this year’s esteemed MTV Africa Awards in Abuja, Nigeria.
The
idea to bring two of America’s most well known emcees to the Motherland began
with Zain, the multinational, mobile telecommunications company that now
services 22 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
According
to Zain’s Chief Marketing Officer Norman Mayo, the move signifies his company’s
focus on using music to bridge gaps throughout the world community and further
illuminate the cultural influences we all have on each other, both directly and
indirectly.
“The
idea of bringing an international rap star like Nas to the awards demonstrates Zain’s
willingness to always explore opportunities that will allow for cross-cultural experiences,”
Mayo explained in a statement to the Nigerian
Tribune. “The brand is most associated with music in Africa, [and] the
company will continue to contribute immensely to the development of music in
the continent.”
Nas
marked 2008 with the release of Untitled,
his critically acclaimed opus on race relations and cultural identity. The
album debuted in July #1 on Billboard and was certified gold by the RIAA in
September.
This
past August, Game released his star-studded third and reputed final album L.A.X. The album debuted #2 on Billboard
and has also been certified gold.
The
Africa MTV Awards will be broadcast of Saturday November 22 through local
affiliates throughout Africa.
At
press time, MTV has not verified if all or portions of the award show will be
made available for the U.S. audience.
