Took him long enough. The last time Pusha T hit the block, he brought Jay Z along with him for a beautiful match made in hell. But that was at the end of May. We figured the opening salvo from King Push was the first of many but then…crickets. In fact, calling it crickets would be an insult to the insects who chirp because outside of his political ties, Push has been missing all summer. It’s fitting he reemerges the closer we get to Halloween as green leaves and sunshine has never quite fit his sensibilities. “H.G.T.V.” is perfect music for the change of weather.
Normally this is where I’d highlight the lyrics, looking to pick a good four or eight bars to make you say “damn.” However, the video, as simplistic as it is, tells a story in the most minimalist way possible. The “H.G.T.V.” visual is all about the evolution and growth of the artist and the man.
It starts with something boiling on the stove and if you know Push, you know what that is. The camera pans around to him sitting at a desk. It pans again to him sitting on a makeshift bench, then a stool. He raps from the stool for a while, never changing his stance but instead changing the wardrobe. It transitions from a black outfit seemingly out of the ’90s to something all-white, possibly more at home in the early to mid 2000s. The next time the camera pans, he’s dressed in all black again — this is Pusha T we’re talking about here — but it’s a suit. He’s still sitting but the stool has been replaced with a leather recliner with his legs propped up. The final time the camera takes us on a mini journey, he’s standing without a chair in sight. In two minutes and twelve seconds, the man’s entire journey is played out in sparse black and white footage.
“These n*ggas call of duty cause they killings ain’t real
With a questionable pen so the feelin’ ain’t real
Rap’s John Grisham
I can paint the picture with the words if you listen
The bars been lowered the well’s run dry
They beefing over melodies but no not I”
One day you’re an artist and the next you’re a president. It’s a blessing but also has to be a serious culture shock. The boardroom is different from the studio and I’m sure it took some getting used to. That might be the reason it took him so long for his second shot as the head rocking the crown is always in jeopardy of falling over.
Push’s one-man-show ends when he declares himself “President Blobama” which is probably the best way to end a song a few weeks before Election Day.
