Quotation: (3:30-3:38) in Apeshit music video:
“I said no to the Super Bowl/ You need me, I don’t need you/ Every night we in the end zone/ Tell the NFL we in stadiums, too”
Comment: Overall, there is so much behind the lyrics and production of this video in relation to post-colonialism and black individuals in America. This specific shot in the music video depicts black men kneeling in a row, while the lyric above is spoken. Meaning behind this display relates back to when NFL players knelt during the national anthem about 2 years ago now. It was with the purpose of drawing attention to the racial inequality and police brutality rate increasing in the US. Looking at the larger context of this video, its depicting black individuals dancing and posed inside the Lourve. As noted in the Venus Noire piece we read recently, France during post revolutionary times was known to commodify and racialize black people. It is a redefinition of the historical narrative by having a display such as this. One may think of this display as what Parker spoke about in the Post Colonial and Race Studies regarding historical awareness. The Carters are sublimely, with landscape, reminding viewers of France’s historical connection with black individuals.
Question: What other subtle notions are hidden in this video regarding racial inequality of black individuals? Why is it displayed more discretely rather than explicitly?
