Asia
Namewee cosplays as an Arab pick-up artist in Qatar in ‘Ya Gamila’
It has just started & the World Cup is impossible to ignore
Like moths to flames, celebrities and influencers are heading to Qatar in droves trying to get the best shots for their social media and maybe catch a game or two of football. Namewee, a Malaysian rapper based in Taiwan, has a nose for virality. He went to Qatar and released ‘Ya Gamila,' which means ‘Hey Pretty’ in English. The video shot like a tourism ad for Qatar, shows all the sights as Namewee tries his hand at getting laid in the Middle Eastern country.
Like any pick-up artist worth his weight in salt, Namewee starts with some peacocking. He’s dressed like a sheik with star sunglasses and big gold chains. He will tell the women anything for dates. Some of his lines are, “I’m moving to Qatar to be with you and Baba/Digging oil and gas,” and “I’m not afraid of hunger during Ramadan.”
It’s mildly amusing but then he gets homophobic with lines like, “Sorry guys don’t kiss me” and kind of ruins it all. Instead of being a rapper, Namewee is a YouTuber who will do anything for views and while the music and video sound and look great, ‘Ya Gamila’ ends up feeling pretty lame by the end.
Namewee’s cosplay of an Arab pimp in ‘Ya Gamila’ has high production value but is ultimately as empty as Qatar’s promises of human rights when they won the 2022 World Cup.
Check out Namewee's 'Ya Gamila' below.