Kendrick Lamar continues to prove that he is rap's reigning creative genius. His album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers continued his confessional brand of hip-hop after he took a five-year break between projects and was met with critical acclaim and success. Now that he's in the running for a possible eight new GRAMMYs to add to his collection, he gives us the third visual from the album with a clip for "Rich Spirit."
Like "N95" and "We Cry Together" (which might actually be in contention for a short-film Oscar next year), the video for "Rich Spirit" taps into his psyche while leaving the audience to interpret its meaning. It opens with Kendrick alone in a minimally decorated house as he peeks out of his curtains like he's perhaps hiding out from someone or something. Then Kendrick promptly starts busting moves that evoke the casual two-step you'd see in clubs and something akin to interpretive dance.
The only other constant motif is the presence of a phone. We see him rapping his second verse into an old-school touchtone handset that's revealed to not be connected to anything. Then, as the clip wears on, its constant ringing interrupts Kendrick's moves and causes a wary look to appear across his face.
The Calmatic-directed clip is just as artfully done as anything we've come to expect from Kendrick Lamar on the visual tip, and its mystery and minimalism only serve to make it all the more fascinating. See what we mean when you press play below.
