Calgary rapper A.Y.E. honoured all facets of Blackness in his single "BLACK," released in February, and how he's furthered the celebration with a new video.
The track finds A.Y.E. expressing his desire for "Black leaders, Black CEOs, Black executives / Establishment of Black excellence" atop jazzy production. He's joined by local vocalist Uyemi, who delivers the hook along with additional vocalizations throughout the chorus, and poet Maria Jose, who drops a show-stopping performance.
Co-directed by A.Y.E. and Jerome de Gourville, the new video furthers the song's message through tender black-and-white footage of the performers, including dancers and a drummer. Initially stark lighting eventually softens throughout the video, exemplifying the community and empowerment promised by the track.
"The inspiration for the music video was to embrace and highlight Black beauty," said A.Y.E. in a statement. "The goal and intentions working with Jerome on this visual was to represent some of these elements in a positive light. There's usually a negative connotation attached to the word 'Black,' and I wanted to try and redefine what we think and feel when hear the word, whether you're a person of colour or not."
Watch the "BLACK" video below.
The track finds A.Y.E. expressing his desire for "Black leaders, Black CEOs, Black executives / Establishment of Black excellence" atop jazzy production. He's joined by local vocalist Uyemi, who delivers the hook along with additional vocalizations throughout the chorus, and poet Maria Jose, who drops a show-stopping performance.
Co-directed by A.Y.E. and Jerome de Gourville, the new video furthers the song's message through tender black-and-white footage of the performers, including dancers and a drummer. Initially stark lighting eventually softens throughout the video, exemplifying the community and empowerment promised by the track.
"The inspiration for the music video was to embrace and highlight Black beauty," said A.Y.E. in a statement. "The goal and intentions working with Jerome on this visual was to represent some of these elements in a positive light. There's usually a negative connotation attached to the word 'Black,' and I wanted to try and redefine what we think and feel when hear the word, whether you're a person of colour or not."
Watch the "BLACK" video below.
