Malaysian rapper Namewee lies in coffin for music video
Malaysian rapper-actor Namewee shared a photo of himself lying in a coffin to promote the release of his new song, When I’m Gone.

“Do not fear death, but rather the unlived life,” the 40-year-old wrote on social media at noon on April 4. “We would also like to wish you all a peaceful Qing Ming Festival.”

Qing Ming Jie, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 in 2024.

The artiste – whose real name is Wee Meng Chee – caused a controversy on April Fool’s Day when he announced his “death” and staged a memorial at Nirvana Centre Kuala Lumpur.

While some netizens left condolences on social media, others were sceptical, saying he had taken a joke too far.

Namewee confirmed that he was fine on social media on April 2, saying he did so to share the importance of “pre-planning for one’s passing”.

He released the music video of When I’m Gone on social media at 4.44pm on April 4. The number four sounds like “death” in Mandarin.

“I had lots of feelings during the shooting of this music video,” he wrote in Chinese. “I saw my own funeral with my own eyes – there is not only a serious and reserved side, but also a funny side. Maybe this is my life.”

He said he wrote the song in 2023, when he was down in the dumps.

“Many things happened last year,” he wrote. “I overcame health issues and wrote this song in the hope that it will bring more positive energy to everyone and help you face life with courage.”

Namewee told the media that he lost a lot of weight in 2023, without knowing the cause. He spent the year on medication and making trips to the hospital.

He saw the fragility of life during those frequent visits and turned his feelings into the lyrics of the song.

He said he had mixed feelings when lying in the coffin for the music video, and things felt especially realistic when the crew placed flowers around the coffin. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
He released the music video of 'When I’m Gone' on social media at 4.44pm on April 4.