In an extremely racially charged video, the hypnotic sounds of James Blake joined forces with the versatile talents of Chance The Rapper in a melancholic remix to “Life Round Here.” The simplistically brilliant visuals directed by Nabil feature the dynamic of black and white imagery in a myriad of ways.
The vintage quality of the footage itself helps setup the metaphor. Plus, everything that Chance and Blake see along their ride in a drop top down a winding road in England helps to solidify the director’s vision. The camera cuts frequently to a shot of a white girl standing next to a black man, than a old, white man beating up a black man, a black priest and a white nun, a white man and a black horse, a black crow on the white interior, and a group of black kids wearing white T’s. Point taken, we have a black rapper and a white singer collaborating.
The eerie images only add to the potent lyrics of the UK singer and Chicago rapper. As Chance and Blake sing, “Part time love is the life ‘round here, and wear that fake smile like cane. Save yourself first, save yourself first. Part time love is the life ‘round here.”
The original track “Life Round Here” appeared on Blake’s critically acclaimed album Overgrown, which is available on iTunes. Fans can find Chance on the Social Experiment tour, his first batch of headlining shows ever.
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