Kodak Black may never be mistaken as a rapper with political motivations, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t voice his opinion on America’s current system of society, incarceration and the tensions we all face in our daily lives as citizens of this nation under Trump. In his new video for “Tunnel Vision,” the young Florida rapper makes very strong statements on all of the above with his words and the imagery depicted on the screen. Lyrically, the song, produced by Metro Boomin’ and Southside, is his pledge to himself, his family and his fans that he has no plans of repeating the mistakes of his past that put him behind bars. With success within arm’s reach, he now understands why his mom told him “Boy make a decision” after recent time spent incarcerated, nearly derailing his budding rap career in the process. Kodak’s not out of the woods just yet since he still has the case in South Carolina pending, but at least he’s beginning to grasp what’s at stake.
The clip itself is very graphic as the story depicts two men – one white wearing a “Make America Hate Again” hat and the other black – squaring off with one another after the white man’s gun jams before he’s able to shoot the other. The two are seen grappling before the black man gets the upper hand and puts his opponent in a headlock. Moments later, he grabs an American flag hanging low nearby and uses it to choke out the white man. Suddenly, the action comes to a halt when a young girls yells out stop and both men freeze, looking at her and realizing what’s at stake as well.
The song and video make separate statements that both carry with them the same meaning: change is a necessary component to survival.
