Kodak Black is no stranger to controversy. After questionably featuring Danielle Bregoli — the 13-year-old “Cash me Ousside” girl from Dr. Phil — in his previous video “Everything 1K,” Black was thrust into the spotlight.
Recently, Black has returned with a music video for his song “Tunnel Vision.” Released Feb. 16, the politically-charged video has already garnered over 10 million views — presenting a sharp departure from his previous, lighthearted work.
The video depicts a white man wearing a “Make America Hate Again” hat confronting a black man in a large, open and dusty field. This confrontation escalates violently until both men are trying to trap each other in chokeholds.
As this fight approaches a haunting climax — with the black man using an American flag to choke the white man — a young girl cuts in and yells at them to stop. Subsequently, both dirt-covered, sweaty men look up at her and freeze before the video cuts to black. With the battle raging on, brief footage of Black and his entourage dancing in front of burning crosses at night is interspersed throughout the video.
These visceral, jarring images both contradict and enhance the deep yet bouncy beat of the song. The song is predominately about reconciling the desire for instant gratification and focusing on long-term goals. These message are exemplified in lines like, “My mama told me, ‘boy make a decision’ / Right now I gotta keep a tunnel vision.” This narrative, though, becomes self-reflexive — allowing either man to justify a single-minded desire to fight.
Just as the song ends without a clear reconciliation, the video cuts to black on a cliffhanger with two possible ends as it’s unclear whether the men will continue the fight or reconcile their differences. While the young girl stops the men in their tracks, justice is not yet achieved on either side — both men are forced to make a decision and “keep a tunnel vision,” though the focus of this vision is also unclear.
Although each man seemed to be hyperfocused on hurting the other, when the young girl cuts in, that tunnel vision is broken. From there, it is impossible to know the future of the situation.
Read More
Early Visions at The Fralin facilitates creativity through artistic mentorship
By Delaney Coppola | 5 hours agoThe 10 week-long after-school program brings together children from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia with University student-artistic mentors.
Around the world in three stories — recommendations from Language House residents
By Gretel Brown | YesterdayThese works of international fiction — all originally written in languages other than English and set in countries other than the United States — are the perfect getaway for students looking to put the semester behind them.
The Filmmakers Society is the heart of student filmmaking on Grounds
By Zachary Geller | 2 days agoThe Filmmakers Society, or FMS, is the University’s only filmmaking-based Contracted Independent Organization.
