American Rapper Rich The Kid performed at House of Vans pop-up experience in Johannesburg over the weekend but it's his Instagram post that has tweeps talking.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the "Plug Walk" rapper posted a picture of him in Soweto on a dirt road with a street vendor in the background.
The photo made its way to the Twitter streets and tweeps have been debating the appropriateness of the picture setting.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BIG CEO(@richthekid) on Aug 25, 2019 at 7:38am PDT
On the one side tweeps feel that his post reinforces the perception by Americans that Africa is a poor continent and using poverty as an aesthetic.
it’s not unreasonable for rappers to take pictures in townships because that is the reality of the majority of SAns, but we can’t deny that they’re purposefully playing into poverty porn in the name of aesthetics and this, in turn, fuels the preexisting ignorance of the west
— foyin 🍯 (@foyinog) August 26, 2019
Rich the kid is probably staying in an expensive hotel with the best service but he decided to visit the underprivileged streets for clout
— Mntimande 💛 (@_nti_1) August 25, 2019
Fede your boy rich the kid chooses to leave Sandton to come and take a picture there. Already we have the world thinking we don’t have roads in Africa 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ocMjbxcFVP
— Okgabile🦋 (@Okgabile2) August 25, 2019
Rich the kid landed in JHB and then went to the most ghetto place he could find, why????
— xoxo (@mbals21) August 25, 2019
While others feel that he did nothing wrong with his choice of backdrop since it is the reality for a large portion of South African people.
But this is where majority of SAns live 🤷🏽♀️
— KATE (@MissShozi) August 26, 2019
undefinedBathi Rich The Kid relates more to the hood that’s why he went there.😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/l4IRWuTFBN
— Evana Rhodes (@Evana_Rhodes) August 26, 2019
The real problem is you being out of touch with South Africa’s reality, not Rich the Kid’s picture in the location.
— kumiho kitsune. (@azeegreen_) August 26, 2019
The "Spashin" rapper performed alongside local acts such as Riky Rick, Gemini Major and DJ Speedsta.