Return to the Motherland: Music Videos Shot in Africa

Stars who visited native Africa to shoot music visuals.

Rae Sremmurd – 'This Could Be Us' - Rae Sremmurd shows their cultural side with the release of their latest visual, "This Could Be Us," taking a look at the beauty South Africa has to offer. From safaris to beaches (and of course women), the duo add depth to their lover's quarrel track and get their passport stamped in the process. As the "No Flex Zone" brothers turn up in Africa, check out a few more videos that were shot in the motherland. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: Eardrumma/Interscope Records)

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Rae Sremmurd – 'This Could Be Us' - Rae Sremmurd shows their cultural side with the release of their latest visual, "This Could Be Us," taking a look at the beauty South Africa has to offer. From safaris to beaches (and of course women), the duo add depth to their lover's quarrel track and get their passport stamped in the process. As the "No Flex Zone" brothers turn up in Africa, check out a few more videos that were shot in the motherland. — Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: Eardrumma/Interscope Records)

Rapsody – 'Godzilla' - Rapsody made the most out of her trip to South Africa last year and decided to shoot the video for "Godzilla," where she returned to the essence. The people seemed to love her as she walked the streets and took pictures with her global fanbase and the kids found another hero to look up to. (Photo: Jamla Records, Culture Over Everything)

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Rapsody – 'Godzilla' - Rapsody made the most out of her trip to South Africa last year and decided to shoot the video for "Godzilla," where she returned to the essence. The people seemed to love her as she walked the streets and took pictures with her global fanbase and the kids found another hero to look up to. (Photo: Jamla Records, Culture Over Everything)

Solange Knowles – 'Losing You' - Solange showed love to the stylish Le Sapeurs subculture in Cape Town, South Africa with her 2012 video "Losing You." She told Pitchfork, "When Melina [the video's director] and I decided to film 'Losing You' in South Africa, we really didn't have a real firm concept in place. It was sort of a grab a camera and let's go moment. I knew I wanted to capture a couple things: the vibe of our friendship and all of the crazy escapades we've gotten ourselves into all over the world, and the abstract and elegant Le Sape Society (Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance) formed in the Congo which was documented by Daniele Tamagni in his Gentleman of Bacongo book. We called Daniele to guide us, and some of my friends from New York came down to Cape Town and we all had a very damn good time.&...

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Solange Knowles – 'Losing You' - Solange showed love to the stylish Le Sapeurs subculture in Cape Town, South Africa with her 2012 video "Losing You." She told Pitchfork, "When Melina [the video's director] and I decided to film 'Losing You' in South Africa, we really didn't have a real firm concept in place. It was sort of a grab a camera and let's go moment. I knew I wanted to capture a couple things: the vibe of our friendship and all of the crazy escapades we've gotten ourselves into all over the world, and the abstract and elegant Le Sape Society (Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance) formed in the Congo which was documented by Daniele Tamagni in his Gentleman of Bacongo book. We called Daniele to guide us, and some of my friends from New York came down to Cape Town and we all had a very damn good time.&...

Stephen Marley Featuring Wale and the Cast of Fela! – 'Made in Africa' - Bob Marley's heir paid tribute to the birthplace of civilization with his 2012 uplifting mantra as he sang about all the creations — like math, writing and science — that came from the Old Earth. Stephen shot a lot of the video in Ethiopia while he also paid homage to his Rastafarian roots with the enlightening visual. (Photo: Universal Republic Records, UMG Recirdings)

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Stephen Marley Featuring Wale and the Cast of Fela! – 'Made in Africa' - Bob Marley's heir paid tribute to the birthplace of civilization with his 2012 uplifting mantra as he sang about all the creations — like math, writing and science — that came from the Old Earth. Stephen shot a lot of the video in Ethiopia while he also paid homage to his Rastafarian roots with the enlightening visual. (Photo: Universal Republic Records, UMG Recirdings)

Ludacris, 'Pimpin' All Over the World' - Luda went to Durban to shoot the visuals for this cut, allowing South Africa's beautiful scenery to play host to another U.S. hit. (Photo: Island Def Jam Music Group) 

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Ludacris – 'Pimpin' All Over the World' - Luda went on a African safari in Durban, South Africa, in 2004 for his video that year as he showed how beautiful the continent is. Making a point to prove that Africa wasn't just a famine plagued land as the media liked to portray, he spoke on his experiences with MTV, stating, "People just think it’s all jungles and flies and poverty. It’s nothing like that. I had to show the beautiful side of what Africa as a whole is all about. So I felt I needed to do it."(Photo: Island Def Jam)

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47. Rick Ross "Hold Me Back" - Rick Ross went to Lagos, Nigeria, to shoot the video for his hustler’s anthem “Can’t Hold Me Back.”(Photo: Maybach Music Group)

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Rick Ross – 'Hold Me Back' - Rozay shot an alternate video in Nigeria for his 2012 anthem and went deep into the slums with the poorest from the country, giving his adaption of Belly's classic scene when Lennox went back to the streets of Jamaica. Ross even played Santa for the day as he dropped $20s and $50s on the people, including the kids. The MMG boss did catch heat though as many complained he was exploiting his people once again.(Photo: Maybach Music Group)

Talib Kweli – 'Hostile Gospel Pt.1 (Deliver Us)' - Talib Kweli took his righteous philosophies to new heights when he walked the streets with the people in Lagos, Nigeria, for this 2008 video off his Eardrum album. The Brooklyn MC has visited the continent several times, even shooting the video "Temperature Rising" there in 2003 with Les Nubians.Seeing many aspects of the motherland, he stated in a 2008 interview, "Going to Africa is an experience that has many facets and you will see different things depending on where you spend your time. That is not something we see growing up here. I have seen an Africa that resembles America, and I have seen one that looks like man has never been there. The vastness of the continent is overwhelming."(Photo: WMG)

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Talib Kweli – 'Hostile Gospel Pt.1 (Deliver Us)' - Talib Kweli took his righteous philosophies to new heights when he walked the streets with the people in Lagos, Nigeria, for this 2008 video off his Eardrum album. The Brooklyn MC has visited the continent several times, even shooting the video "Temperature Rising" there in 2003 with Les Nubians.Seeing many aspects of the motherland, he stated in a 2008 interview, "Going to Africa is an experience that has many facets and you will see different things depending on where you spend your time. That is not something we see growing up here. I have seen an Africa that resembles America, and I have seen one that looks like man has never been there. The vastness of the continent is overwhelming."(Photo: WMG)