Dublin-born rap artist Rejjie Snow releases a new music video for his latest single “Keep Your Head Up” featuring the eccentrically beautiful model/photographer Braina Laviena.
The video follows Rejjie and Braina as they run around downtown Los Angeles in search of the perfect shot. The laid back yet playful atmosphere of the video only compliments an already super-chill jazzy track that’s blanketed by Rejjie’s already well known smooth flow.
As you may already know, for the past few years a collective group of young rappers from New York is recycling old hip hop formulas. They go by the name of Pro Era. And no one seems to be complaining. With them, the 90s seem to be back in full effect – at least it appears to be – with minimal loop sampled beats (a la DJ Premier) with lyrics that are an earful of technical word rhyming schemes. It’s the same backpack rap from back in the days.
Now, the same fever has crossed the pond. Rejjie and others alike are reintroducing the raw energy that cemented hip hop music as a cultural canon. With its reincarnation indie style, rap music can again be easily defended as a true art form that’s not always fitting cliche molds.
Sure these young rap artists don’t yet have the same “realness” or impact of someone like Nas or Kendrick Lamar, but they do seem to be acquiring a space for themselves that feels natural and more importantly – just sounds dope.
Rejjie’s “Keep Your Head Up” is nothing short of what we expect from him.
That full series of photos by the duo can be found over at i-D magazine here including a behind the scenes look of the video here.
