Controversy Surrounds French Rapper Booba’s Planned Morocco Concert

Will Booba perform in Morocco in June? The prefecture of Casablanca-Anfa has "notified a refusal to organize the concert, but without giving any justifications," said a framework of the concert organization on condition of anonymity. "We are still negotiating with them." On Friday, a sit-in against the arrival of the French rapper was scheduled in front of the Casablanca prefecture, but it was no longer held after the decision of the latter. For his part, the French rapper is waiting to receive news of the concert. "We’re waiting for news of the concert in Morocco. Normally, it’s maintained. If it was canceled, it would be really regrettable," he said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Monday.

Since the announcement of the concert, voices have been raised to call for its cancellation. The Moroccan Lawyers Club has filed a complaint for "defamation and insults against Moroccan women" against Booba. It believes that the presence of the performer of Scarface on Moroccan territory "may present in the current circumstances a disturbance to public order." Moroccan Internet users, for their part, reproach the French rapper for misogynistic remarks made in some of his songs. "I only go to the shisha for the Arabs" and "the little Moroccan f*** Berlusconi," he sings in two of his songs.

"We love Morocco, we love Africa, we’ve never insulted Moroccans, or any Africans. We’ve always been (in Morocco, Ed.) on vacation, in concert, for years, so it would be really sad for the fans, for the music, for Africa. And if ever it’s canceled, we’re sorry," the rapper defends himself.