In the late 1990s to early 2000s, Nollywood provided a lot of Nigeria’s entertainment with blockbusters like Billionaires Club, Living In Bondage, Girls Cot and Abuja Connection. These films were often compared with foreign films, with critics terming the writing lazy and the acting overdramatic. Now, those ridiculed movies have become beloved classics with the ongoing improvements to the quality of the films and the comprehensiveness of the scripts.
The garish wardrobes associated with those Y2k home videos have also resurfaced, making a pop culture comeback following the rise of alté culture in the late 2010s. With the return of 2000’s fashion and aesthetics, it’s becoming fashionable to see Nollywood themed parties with attendees recreating the Y2k aesthetic that ruled the early 2000s. Owing to the interception between music and fashion, artists are incorporating Y2k style into music videos, creating a nostalgic effect.
Here are five music videos where your favourite artists infused the famous y2k fashion:
Raw Dinner – Santi
Santi’s video for his hit track Raw Dinner could be mistaken for clips from Living In Bondage or Blood Diamonds, two movies that sent chills down the spines of children who watched these movies in real-time. The dark edits, casual violence and representations of the supernatural are all elements of a Y2k horror movie.
Damages – Tems
Tems sets the music video for Damages in a large mansion with a sepia edit that gives it a nostalgic feel. Many of the outfits in this video are Y2k inspired, with short skirts, leather hats and chunky hoop earrings, bringing to mind the happening babes of old Nollywood.
Wetin Dey – Odunsi
Wetin Dey is Odunsi’s sample of the 2005 same-titled hit by Ruff Rugged N Raw and it is only fair that the video borrows a few pages from the Y2k guidebook. With bucket hats, oversized shirts and snappy cuts, Odunsi creates a proper throwback to much simpler times.
Do Me Jeje – Teezee and Knucks
Credited as being one of the founding fathers of the alté genre, Teezee is no newbie to Y2k fashion. The music video for Do Me Jeje where he teams up with Knucks features Y2k fashion as well as video transitions synonymous with the era.
Ayra Starr ft. Ckay – Beggie Beggie
The Beggie Beggie video by fast-rising stars Ayra Starr and Ckay takes you back to the Nollywood movies about campus girls. Combining outfits, mannerisms and even a shot of a DJ at a turntable with his hat on backwards, Ayra and Ckay successfully pull off a near-perfect y2k recreation.