My new favorite music video is Kendrick Lamar “HiiiPOWER”

Posted at May 28, 2011 by Julie J Comments Off

Kendrick Lamar released this video for “HiiiPOWER” a couple days ago, and to be honest, I haven’t posted it yet because after I watched it, I was so blown away that I didn’t know what to write. I still don’t even really know what to write.

When I listened to “HiiiPOWER” for the first time, I thought it was nice, but it didn’t immediately capture my attention. Upon a second or third listen, however, there was just something about the song that struck a chord with me. Maybe it was the allure of “HiiiPOWER,” of being the very entity that Kendrick is urging us to rebel against. Or maybe it was the thought of fighting for something that I believe in. Or maybe, I’m just making stuff up. Actually, I think it was that eerie sound effect of Kendrick’s voice in the beginning, contrasted with the message of challenging the “HiiiPOWER,” or going against ‘the system’ and breaking free, that truly captivated me. For whatever reason, trust that there are a lot, the song resonated with me.

And then this video dropped, and I was speechless. For 5 minutes and 9 seconds, I was entirely entranced by these visuals. The hypnotized way that Kendrick looks toward the camera but not really at it, while he’s in the middle of the raucous mob? That’s exactly how I feel while watching the video, kind of in awe and unable to even channel my thoughts.

By splicing all that television coverage of the international conflict, the video allowed me a new, broader understanding of the track and messaging itself. But above all, it is just a phenomenal video, and if you blink, then you might miss something. Shoutout to Fredo Tovar and Scott Fleishman for directing my new favorite music video of the year.

Anyway, there are a lot of reasons that I love this video. Kendrick’s typical passionate delivery of course compliments both the song and video, and that passion that he displays in the struggle against “HiiiPOWER” makes me want to go to something. What, I don’t know. But something. The visuals providing a larger meaning to the song and make it more applicable because it is a literal commentary about the international conflicts actually happening. I guess that’s the point of a music video, though, and conversely, I don’t feel like that happens very often in music videos anymore. Am I the only one who really feels effected by this video, in that he rapping about something that’s right in front of people’s faces?

I also love this video because all the clips were literal examples of people challenging ”HiiiPOWER,” whether it’s Martin Luther King, Jr. or the protests against Mubarak. With all these examples, it just made it more real, more relatable, more chilling to watch, and in turn, that much more entrancing. If you don’t understand the symbolism at the end of the video, my dear reader, you should really make it a point to be more cognizant of what’s going on in the world. I’m impressed and awed at how the music video really brought the song to life, and I can’t watch this video without getting chills!

And that note in the beginning? Woooweeee.