Apparently, 21 Savage is a big fan of Inside Man, the 2006 Spike Lee hostage drama starring Denzel Washington, as that film’s visual influences make their way into the cinematic, long-awaited video for his smash single, “Bank Account.” The short musical film, directed by Matthew Swinsky, features funnyman Mike Epps as a delivery man dropping off a teddy bear at a would-be paramour’s office and getting caught up in Savage’s gang’s heavily-armed bank takeover. Epps gets busy, taking out henchmen like Bruce Willis in Die Hard, before the final twist that reveals that everything is not as it seems. It’s a remarkably fun video that nevertheless reflects the ghoulish intent of 21’s often violent rhymes.
The “Bank Account” video caps a tremendous breakout year for the lanky Atlantan trap-rap star. His debut, Issa Album, was certified gold just two weeks ago, his “Rockstar” collaboration with affable dormroom ne’er-do-well Post Malone netted him his first ever No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100, and his relationship with Amber Rose has the both of them looking about as happy as either has ever appeared. Meanwhile, “Bank Account” has become the soundtrack to a nationwide footwear campaign featuring NBA All-Star James Harden, as 21 himself became one of the new faces of Adidas Originals alongside Playboi Carti and Young Thug. Finally, 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin’s collaborative effort, Without Warning, made a huge splash, even if it wasn’t my favorite album of the year. All in all, 2017 has been pretty good to 21. We’ll see if he can keep it up in ’18.
