Since the civil rights protests kicked off several months ago, a bunch of North American artists have switched their focus to lyrical activism and are using their platforms to support the causes they believe in. Some people are just trying to capitalize off the trend—not really looking to make a difference—while others have been genuinely successful at speaking out for their communities.
The 420 Klick’s latest EP WTSTF, previously reviewed on HipHopCanada, is one of the most authentic protest records to drop since the brutal murder of George Floyd back in May. Since featuring WTSTF (Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire) in July, the group has released another new video which does an incredible job reflecting the atmosphere created by the record.
420 Klick
To bring the project’s B1 The Architect-produced title track “WTSTF” (featuring DJ ShyTheBeatYoda) to life, 420 Klick decided to link up with HipHopCananda’s own Kyle McNeil of True Aspect Media, who has previously created videos for artists like Zaze, Young Stitch, and Dave Mac. Zaze is actually a guest director on “WTSTF,” which is the second video the Durham Region-based group has released in support of the EP.
The video’s intro is actually an interlude from the EP, and makes use of recent news clippings involving controversial incidents that have occurred in the GTA; incidents like an infant’s body washing up on the shores of Pickering Beach, or the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet who was alleged to have been pushed off a balcony by Toronto Police.
420 Klick
One thing that really stands out about this video is True Aspect Media’s use of the song’s pacing to match the visuals and adding news footage capturing real-life riots that have taken place in recent months. Another really impressive aspect is the slow-motion shots of the group rapping while standing in coloured smoke, and Nathan Skullz holding a red smoke grenade just like a torch for some symbolic imagery. This is definitely not your typical party club banger as the video has an overall run time of over five minutes in length and gives the feel of a short film at times. The outro features words from former NBA player Stephen Jackson who was the cousin of the late George Floyd.
“WTSTF” is HipHopCanada’s Song of the Day. You can check out the new video below. WTSTF is available now on Bandcamp.
You can follow @official420klick on Instagram.
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Written by Kyle McNeil for HipHopCanada
Photography by Kyle McNeil for HipHopCanada
