S. Samuel
R&B singer Rihanna has publicly co-signed fellow Roc Nation artist J. Cole's new "Crooked Smile" music video days after it premiered to the masses online.
Along with posting a direct link to Cole’s latest Born Sinner visual, RiRi gave him props for putting out a message-driven music video.
“In LOVE with this video! Thank U @JColeNC for the beautiful message in this art piece #pleasereconsideryourwarondrugs http://smarturl.it/CrookedSmileVideo …,” RiRi tweeted September 22. (Rihanna’s Twitter)
Cole uses his new music video to tackle real-life problems like racial profiling and drugs.
J. Cole has premiered the video for “Crooked Smile,” and there’s nothing to smile about when watching the heavy narrative unfold. The song is a pleasant bit of self-empowerment, but the video has an even bigger message, taking on racial profiling and the war on drugs. Dedicated to Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a seven-year-old killed during a police raid in Detroit in 2010, the Sheldon Candis-directed clip features a plea from Cole at the end: “Please reconsider your war on drugs.” Though the track features TLC, T-Boz and Chilli aren’t in the visual, which depicts two family stories that converge during a raid. Midway through the song, as tragedy unfolds, the song drops out and a murky version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays, echoing the sentiments of Cole’s “Miss America.” Watch the social commentary up top. (Idolator)
The rap star recently revealed he wanted to re-shoot the visual.
J. Cole’s ‘Crooked Smile’ single just cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the German-born MC decides to keep the momentum going with the release of the official video. The TLC-assisted track appeared on Cole’s sophomore album ‘Born Sinner’ released back in June. Originally the video was shot in the streets of Brooklyn in early July but Cole chose to scrap the whole thing and re-shoot it. He told MissInfo: “It came out nice but it just didn’t come out exactly how I wanted. It’s such an important song so I want the visual to match. If this was my first video than I would have panicked.” (Direct Lyrics)
Earlier in the summer, Jermaine spoke on wishing “Crooked Smile” was the biggest song in the nation.
” [“Crooked Smile”] deserves to be the number one record in the country. I think Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” gave me hope for a song like this. I think he kinda… as weird as it is, and it’s always happens like this, the White boys got to open the door for Black people at White radio. It happened with Elvis, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, and now hopefully Macklemore with a song like “Thrift Shop” can allow “Crooked Smile” to get its proper shine at Pop Radio, Cole tells Missinfo.tv. “Honestly, you can’t name me many songs better than… I don’t mean to sound crazy, but better than “Power Trip” as singles. They should have gave it a chance at Pop radio. All these Pop PDs weren’t giving rap a chance at all.” (Miss Info TV)
Check out J. Cole’s “Crooked Smile” music video:
I saw the fight clip, and it looks like the nigga Gucci was just defending himself.. Celebrity or not, you stay in your lane.. When somebody tries you, it needs to be handled.. Ya’ll stop making shit out of nothing
Agree %100 Gucci was taken money out from the atm giving the kids in the mall some… when buddy asked gucci to listen to his mixtape or w/e and gucci declined thats how this shit happend …
U got all that from the 16 second clip?
I was at lenox last night when it happened that’s how I know the facts my dude.
I was there to.. It was dragons and fire pits.. It was insane bubble and sparkles everywhere
there is actually pics of him by the atm and there is actually a 45 min clip, not saying thats any better cause this bitch just caught the ass end of the shit.
LOL I’ll take your word then buddy
daaaaamn, he’s got issues! wouldn’t even fight the homie Six Reasons when he challenged him!
now we know wack ass fuck lame is a fucking liar he said gucci rolls with more security than the president yet here he is at the mall him and a homie.
Gucci a real nigga bruh
Big Gucci a G
Just sayin