Glasses Malone

"Thuggin'" (lyric video ft. Killer Mike, Kendrick Lamar)

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Aug 5, 2015

A few months ago, Los Angeles rapper Glasses Malone hit big with his gravel-voiced "Thuggin'" single. Now, the track has been treated to an introspective set of visuals that illuminate his, Kendrick Lamar's and Killer Mike's socio-political bars.

The track arrives with a mix of boom-bap bass, staccato piano tinkling and the tender swell of finger-picked acoustic guitars. The backdrop lets Glasses deliver a verse that's as confident as it is conflicted, as it tackles George Zimmerman, addresses violence, and drops its share of questionable slurs.

A newly produced verse from Killer Mike gets poignant as he talks about racial implications of the U.S. prison system ("call it the new plantation/call it new era slavery"), while King Kendrick's closing statement also takes a look at institutionalized racism.

As all this goes on, the video presents a series of loaded images, from a series of gold grill-sporting skulls and crystal 40. oz bottles, to a statue of justice blinded by the American flag.

You'll find the heavy package down below.

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