REVIEW: Is Olamide’s Video For “Science Student” Promoting Drug Abuse Or Against Drug Abuse?

There’s already an existing controversy caused by Olamide’s “Science Student” music – when the audio was released. Many accused Olamide of promoting drug abuse with the song.

Olamide later addressed the controversy, stating that the song campaigns against the use of hard drugs, not eulogizing drug abuse. According to Olamide, the song ‘Science Student’ is to address the issue of drug abuse, make it known and let people see the outcome of it when they do it.

He said further in an interview with Vots Tv, where he explained the song in details, justifying that it’s not a means of promoting drugs, he said he feels doing drugs isn’t really cool and he feels its his duty as a part of this generation to let the youth know the truth.

His interview, coupled with his social media posts made people anticipated the music video that was released on February 25. Upon dropping the music video, many got pleased, however, has Olamide been able to convince us that the song ‘Science Student’ preaches against drug abuse with the official music video that was directed by Unlimited L.A and Kaffy Shafau as the creative director?

Before I proceed, it is important to applaud the video for being cinematic, highly creative, especially with the locations, costumes and choreography.

‘Night Crawling’

Starting from the first scene of Science Student’s video, Olamide and his friends got stranded at midnight. In his attempt to check out a sudden flashlight, they got attacked by mysterious ‘bats’, then his friends disappeared, leaving the courageous ‘Badoo’ behind.

There’s these Yoruba proverb that says, “eni abi ire ki rin ode oru” (this can simply be interpreted in English language as ‘a responsible fellow doesn’t night crawl). The Yorubas use this proverb to caution the youths against different destructions that happen at midnight, from crimes to illegal activities to demonic spirits that operates, this marks the beginning of Olamide’s trivialities in the music video.

The music videos made us understand that drug abusers operate at night and in isolated environments that was portrayed as a laboratory in the music video.

Lab/Rehab

If Olamide hadn’t night crawled, he wouldn’t have met the familiar spirit that took him to the lab for ‘initiation’, where he was also shown how different hard drugs are made and an onside ‘vision’ of how the hard drugs have turned many sane minds into insane people.

Olamide was given a share of the mixed ‘chemicals’, but he refused to drink after seeing the mess it has caused those in rehab, although “Say No To Drugs” was written all over the rehab, but this same rehab is just next door to the lab where hard drugs are mixed.

To further show how crazy hard drugs can be, a room where ‘For Men Only’ was written, women were found there, meaning they’ve lost their consciousness and couldn’t interpret simple instruction – an aftermath of drug abuse.

Olamide managed to find his way out of the horror night crawling led him into. All of a sudden, the video shows how those in rehab forced their ways out, broke out of rehab in broad day light, turned into energetic dancers and delivered peppy dance moves, which most people are applauding the video for.

Conclusion:

Olamide’s ‘Science Student’ music video has not taken any stand against or for drug abuse. The video may have done so well in showing us the mayhems caused by abuse of drugs, but it promoted the use of drugs when those under rehabilitation turned into dancers. Can we say dancers, entertainers are the most abusers of drugs or drug abuse is good to enhance human activities? We need an explanation. The video started beautifully but ended poorly.

Watch ‘Science Student’ video on YouTube below;