Watch Xxxtentacion’s Divisive Video For “Look At Me!”

7 years ago view-show 527,571

Say what you will about the man, but one thing that can’t be denied is his artistry. 

Xxxtentacion continues his deep dive into polarization with his newest music video for “Look At Me!”. While this track has been heralded for simultaneously injecting a vivacious energy into hip hop and applying a unique cloak for the genre, X proved on his debut album, 17, that his artistry far exceeds simple gimmicks and voice manipulation—it thrives on deep thought, on introspection, on illuminating life aspects that others are too afraid to speak on.

17, through tonally somber production, tackles depression and suicidal thoughts—both on how they interact with X and how they disparage humanity. It acts as a security blanket for those crippled by these shortcomings while striking a chord musically. It is what X set out to achieve: genuine art; a beautiful product born from despair. The “Look At Me!” video picks up where the album narrative left off.

The video starts off with the jarring Jimmy Duvalle and ROJAS instrumental welcoming X into an almost satirical setting: an odd-looking angel descends to greet X, segueing into him entertaining a classroom and convincing them to attack their teacher. However, at the 53-second mark, the video cuts to black, and resumes with imagery that is the antitheses of the visual’s goofy introduction: three black men hanging from trees—one of them is X.

“Look At Me!” ceases play; his two-year-old track, “RIOT!”, takes over. “RIOT!” is an intelligent social commentary on America’s contentious race relations that are just as atrocious today as they were in the past. Montages of juxtaposing grotesque events—Emmett Till’s gruesome execution, Philando Castille’s unjust murder—illuminate how society’s accents—technology—have progressed, but the root issues of bigotry permeate eras to envelop society. Sure, life is now accompanied by advances like cars and iPhones, but America at its core is still the same slave peddlers it was years ago. However, X’s views remain relatively bipartisan by saying that, “You’d rather hear me say ‘Fuck black prejudice!’ / Let’s murder different races, grow hatred, and form irrelevant,” suggesting that he should blindly revolt against everyone.

The 5-minute 26-second video climaxes when a noose dangles down between two children—one white, one black. X greets them at the stage, eventually donning the noose around the white child’s neck, and proceeding to hang him. While this is inherently graphic and unsettling, X is using his artistic platform to show that racism and senseless violence can plague anyone, anywhere. He does this to put the shoe on the other foot, and show white society what it’s like to have one of theirs unjustly murdered for seemingly no reason at all—just like what happened to Rodney King, Michael Brown, Phillando Castille, and so many others.

X isn’t meant for everyone. He’s brash, divisive, abrasive. But at his core exists an artist with a message, one that you should hear. Press play below to hear more: