ANDERSON PAAK’S LOCKDOWN
Powerful Images From Black Lives
In the age of riots and Black Lives Matter protests Anderson .Paak released a music video, “Lockdown” that addresses issues like COVID and politics linked to the disenfranchisement of Black lives in America. .Paak’s ability to diversity his message comes from his lyrical prowess and musical knowledge. “Lockdown” starts with a powerful animation of a screaming face with the words Black Lives Matter circling the head to emphasize the speech. Then, .Paak is on screen sporting a face mask with the words “Lockdown,” surrounding him. The video highlights the violent protests, showing a group of bruised protesters at a rally.
The message of Black Power continues when Jay Rock spits out a robust but quiet verse after .Paak denounces how he sees “history repeating” slavery and police practices. The song is an evolving work that develops as each piece and vocalist come together with performances from artists like Rock and Syd. The video shows riots and groups painting images of exhaustion. They are beaten down by police conflict and the futility of the system not listening to their voices. In the final scenes, .Paak is at a liquor store with a bruised forehead and playing a piano.
The unique video is directed by Dave Meyers, who won the BET Award for Best Director of the Year and Grammy Award for Best Director of the Year. Anderson calls him “the goat.” It’s produced by Anderson .Paak and J. LBS and the stylist is Jasmine Benjamin. “Lockdown’s” production value is strong; each scene is crisp, showing the skill in cinematography and style that the artists contributed.
