February 11, 2012 12:23

Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Niggas In Paris' video is 'potentially dangerous', say epilepsy group

Epilepsy Action says pair didn't go 'far enough' with discretionary warning

Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Niggas In Paris' video has been branded as "potentially dangerous" by an epilepsy group.

Although the video for the latest single from their collaboration album 'Watch The Throne' comes with a discretionary warning, which informs viewers that it may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy, UK group Epilepsy Action still criticised the rap duo for not going "far enough" to combat risks.

"We are pleased to see that a warning has been put in place to make people with photosensitive epilepsy aware that the video may be harmful," campaign manager Stacey Rennard told Ace Showbiz, before adding:

However, the warning does not go far enough and the video is still potentially dangerous. Many people with photosensitive epilepsy, especially young people, do not know they have it until something triggers their first seizure.

However, not all epilepsy groups have taken a similarly critical stance against the pair's new video. According to TMZ, the Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy praised West and Jay-Z, stating: "50,000 individuals lose their lives each year due to seizures and related causes. We applaud artists like Kanye West and Jay-Z who recognize the potential dangers in their videos, movies and performances and are conscientious enough to warn patients and their families about the risks."

Jay-Z and West debuted the video for 'Niggas In Paris' online earlier this week (February 9). The promo is largely compromised from footage filmed at the duo's recent gig at Los Angeles' Staples Center, with shots of the pair performing mixed with crowd footage and also includes a clip from the comedy Blades Of Glory with Will Ferrell making a brief appearance on screen.

It had been rumoured that West would be in Shoreditch, London to attend the video premiere, after representatives for the hip-hop star distributed an image of a street map of the east London location and hinted that an unspecified event would start at 5pm. However, whilst the video was shown, West did not show up.