If you’re not tuning in to what Kojey Radical is doing then you’re missing out, because he’s sick. The inimitable London-based musician thinks of himself as a poet first, and a rapper second his lyrical content is hard-hitting, and beautifully explores the relationship between race, poverty and masculinity. His latest visual, “Water”, will quench your thirst.
Clocking in at about nine minutes long, “Water” opens with narration from Michaela Coel, of Chewing Gum fame, who collaborated with Kojey on his his 23 Winters EP. She recites the words penned by the rapper for his song “SUPER HUMAN”. “I watched my peers walk a path far different to mine and grew more confident with my own solitude/ politics, love, manhood and sexuality I discovered like a blind lamb in the hands of a unfamiliar shepherd,” she says in her distinct husky voice. The ambitious short flips from Kojey’s stunning choreography and expert flows on “If Only You Knew”, to the pacifying voice of the Midlands rising star Mahalia on “Water”.
“I was lucky enough to be raised by a family of strong females — Craig, my director, also — and we wanted to make a visual that was heavy on representation not only just for women but also to create and elaborate on conversations on black masculinity, and how we connect and understand each other as genders,” Kojey explained in an Instagram post promoting the video. “For us, an untold story is easily one of the biggest burdens one can carry, and we really want to use our creative voices to tell as many stories as possible. I hope people find their own meaning within this visual.”
Improve your day by watching “Water” below.
