- [Narrator] J. Cole released
the much-anticipated music video
to his song, "Middle Child."
It was directed by Mez,
and Scott Lazer was the creative director.
Lazer also directed a number of Cole's videos
including "ATM," "Kevin's Heart," "4 Your Eyez Only,"
and his documentary and concert series,
"Forest Hills Drive Homecoming."
But what sets this project apart
is how well the visuals complement the overall message
of his lyrics.
The video shows that while Cole is continuously overlooked
in the music industry, the rapper is still a quiet
but deadly hunter.
Here's a breakdown of all the things you might have missed
in J. Cole's newest video.
♪ I'm all in my bag, this hard as it get ♪
- Throughout most of the video,
J. Cole is in the middle of the screen
while everything is happening around him.
Sort of like how kids describe their experiences
being a middle child in their family.
The video also wastes little time
highlighting J. Cole's targets.
The scene opens with Cole in the center of the screen
with a silhouetted crowd behind him.
When the beat drops,
affluent figures on the red carpet celebrate
but aren't paying any attention to Cole's presence.
The red-carpet event is also in the woods.
It's the first visual hint of the hunting motif
that comes up throughout the entire video.
When the lights fade and the scene changes,
the lively crowd now lies dead in the morgue.
The red carpet has been replaced with red dirt,
which also covers the soles of the dead's shoes.
The red bottoms remind viewers
of the ever-popular high-end Louboutin shoes
that have quickly become a status symbol.
But the fact that the soles are made from dirt
make the wearer seem fake and ingenuine.
The ironic tattoo that reads "loyalty"
on the female cadaver's ankle
also brings his message forward.
But why this particular imagery?
- What was the reason? - I have a reason.
- What was the reason?! - I just explained!
- [Narrator] Well, when it comes to award shows,
J. Cole has notoriously been snubbed.
The artist has been up for a music-related award
43 times since 2012
and only won six of them. For the Grammys specifically,
the artist has been nominated seven times
and hasn't won once!
He's been beat out by Childish Gambino, Ella Mai,
Chance The Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd.
But despite this, Cole has been and still is killing it.
The artist, who also produces almost all of his records,
went certified platinum with no features
with his 2014 album "Forest Hills Drive."
His albums "Cole World," "Born Sinner," "4 Your Eyez Only,"
and "KOD" also went platinum.
Cole continues riding around
in the familiar red dirt backwoods in a Bentley.
Covering the very expensive vehicle in mud
without a care in the world.
We get a peek into his hunting lodge
with three human heads on display over a fireplace.
The plaques under the heads read "Your Favorite Rapper,"
"This Could Be You," and "Ask For A Feature."
While the messages are pretty generic
and could fit a number of overrated artists,
people on Twitter are giving their best guesses.
My guess would have to be Lil Pump
for the artist in the middle.
Given the colorful hair and Cole and Pump's past beef.
Last year, fans thought Cole was calling out Pump
in his "KOD" track "1985,"
and tensions were high.
Yes, the beef was squashed,
but the "This Could Be You" plaque
could be a warning.
Just a theory.
Another theory is that the colorful hair
just represents new age rappers as a monolith.
Cole's made it clear in his song
that he's apparently over any personal beefs.
♪ But I'd never beef with a n---- for nothin' ♪
♪ If I smoke a rapper, it's gon' be legit ♪
- The lyrics overtly reveal the meaning behind
the "Middle Child" song title.
The artist feels that he rests between two ages of rap:
old school and new school
and is OK with acting as a bridge between them.
♪ I'm dead in the middle of two generations ♪
♪ I'm little bro and big bro all at once ♪
- He acknowledges that he learned a lot
from the legends before him
and is looking to help the next wave of real artists.
And the theme that sticks out in this part of the video
is what it means to be real.
We've switched scenes from the backwoods to the supermarket,
a play on the hunters versus the buyers.
The buyers here are the people who weren't out there
hunting for their success
but passively relying on the innovation of others.
Like this woman in camouflage
who's literally shopping for the juice.
The supermarket environment is also interesting
in that it is the complete opposite
of the grungy outdoor environment we just saw.
Cole literally rolls past and props himself
next to the cleaning product aisle.
Notice again that Cole isn't walking around the supermarket
but is either sitting in the shopping cart
or propped up against the shelves.
His art is what other artists are trying to cop
for themselves.
Another theme worth noting is how black women
are portrayed throughout this video.
Cole has a powerful, young, all-female marching band
setting the pace and the beat for the whole song.
The idea of setting the pace is continued
with the shocking end to the video.
A white woman notices a black woman's babyhairs
and is immediately seen shopping for a black woman's face
in the grocery store.
The black face had a red "special" sticker on the packaging.
J. Cole said it best:
♪ Money in your palm don't make you real ♪
- The video shows the dangers of appropriation.
How features and styles of black women are only celebrated
when they aren't on black women.
Do you think the heads on the mantles were shots
at specific artists?
Do you think Cole is way overdue for a Grammy?
Let us know in the comments below
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