Rotimi, whose real name is Olurotimi Akinosho, is a multifaceted entertainer. The 33-year-old has starred in some of the hottest television shows, appeared in movies, and created top-charting records. While he has been praised for all of the above, his latest contribution did not garner the response he hoped for.
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Before the NFL season started, teams began working on different ways to promote themselves and get their fans excited. The Atlanta Falcons decided that releasing a song would be the best route for them, given the city’s impact on the music industry. Many expected the record to be hard-hitting and feature a major rapper, but that was not delivered.
Yesterday (September 10), the team’s official Instagram page shared the promo with their 1.2 million followers. In the clip, Rotimi sang over a somewhat slow and tuneful beat. “Red, black, and white yeah/We gone rise up/ATL that city/We go higher.” The Power actor, seemingly proud of his work, commented, “The new anthem [fire emojis].” However, he was the only one who felt that way.
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The rest of the comment section was filled with naysayers who wondered why a New Jersey native was chosen instead of an ATL-born artist. Rapper T.I., born and raised in the A, hopped on IG live and said, “Atlanta Falcons, who the hell did you call?”
Eventually, the conversation made its way to Twitter, where users were even more ruthless. One person wrote, “All the Atlanta rappers shook in fear of getting a RICO and the Falcons had to get Rotimi from Africa lmaoooo.” Singer and rapper 6Lack also tweeted, “[Why] y’all put Rotimi in the line of fire like [that].”
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Check out other tweets below, and let us know your opinion on the song.