Rapper Olamide says he would gladly use black soap if given, warns against demonising Yoruba culture

• Nigerian rapper Olamide has defended Yoruba traditions, saying cultural practices should not automatically be labelled diabolical.

• Speaking at the screening of Sotayo Gaga's new film, Ose Dudu, he said he would gladly collect and use traditional black soap if offered.

• The rapper urged Nigerians to take pride in their heritage rather than demonise their cultural practices.

Rapper Olamide has defended Yoruba culture at a private screening of actress Sotayo Gaga’s new film, Ose Dudu, saying traditional practices should not be labelled diabolical.

He spoke on Tuesday, November 3, at The Pod by Nile Luxury Cinemas, dressed in a colourful adire outfit. A video of his remarks was shared on Sotayo’s Instagram page the next day.

“Our culture and tradition are not diabolical and should not be demonised,” he said, adding that Nigerians should be proud of their heritage.

Switching to Yoruba, he used the film’s subject as an example. “I’m a Yoruba boy,” he said. “If you give me black soap, I’ll gladly collect it and use it.”

Black soap, known among the Yoruba as ose dudu, is a traditional skincare product made from ingredients including plantain skins, cocoa pods and palm kernel oil. Some people link it to spiritual belief, which is the tension the film explores.

Ose Dudu (The Black Soap) is a 76-minute Yoruba drama produced by Sotayo, whose real name is Tayo Sobola, for her YouTube channel, Sotayo Gaga TV. Listings show it was released around October 23, 2026. The cast includes Bimbo Akintola, Fatai Odua and Sotayo herself.

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The film is described as a cautionary tale about modern ambition and traditional beliefs. Promoting it, Sotayo asked viewers, “How well do you trust that black soap you use?”

Olamide’s support for her is not new. The two are longtime friends. In April 2025, Sotayo shared a video of the YBNL boss carrying her baby girl, who had been born in October 2024, and thanked him for a customised child’s Mercedes-Benz car he gave the baby on her six-month birthday. Videos online also show him performing at one of her birthday parties.

His comments at the screening fit a pattern. Olamide has frequently promoted Yoruba language and culture in his music, and he has previously used Yoruba proverbs and slang in his lyrics.

Fans praised his stance online, applauding what they described as an unapologetic defence of Yoruba identity and heritage.