Video - Star Rapper Wale Defends Spraying Daughter With Money

Rapper Wale defends spraying daughter with money

Posted at 17:40

Nigerian-American rapper Wale has hit back at those who have criticised him for showering his daughter with money at her birthday party.

"That's just a little bit of that ignorance you get in this country [the US] sometimes, for other cultures. I'm used to it," he told US entertainment site TMZ.

"You've just got to respect other people's traditions on all levels before you speak on it. I'm proud of where I come from. That's just what we do, that's all I knew from when I was growing up," Wale added.

Money spraying is a widespread phenomenon at some Nigerian parties and celebrations, says Bola Mosuro of BBC Focus on Africa radio:

"Some like it, some don't," she says.

"It's used as a way to show love and appreciation for the celebrant, their parents or even musicians playing at the party.

"Most people use $1 bills, sometimes it's lower denomination Naira [Nigeria's currency], but generally people aren't using large amounts of money.

"In some people's eyes it is sometimes done in a vulgar way, and recently a video went viral showing a couple tossing money in a way that many deemed excessive.

"A minority have been said to use spraying machines, but on the whole most would do it discretely by placing the notes on the body.

"Ultimately it's a matter of choice," Bola explains.

And speaking of party traditions, one of Wale's best known songs reinterprets the West African party classic, Bunny Mack's Let Me Love You:



Watch Wale below speak about the criticism:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgcMyVcS9J4



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