R&B singer August Alsina goes back to the gritty streets of his hometown, New Orleans, in his new video for his latest single, "Hip-Hop." The song discusses the classic hip-hop story: Coming from rough beginnings and using music to make something out of nothing. The visuals for the song bring that story to life as Alsina remembers his childhood in the slums of New Orleans.
The "No Love" singer, who recently underwent intensive eye surgery to correct his loss of vision, delivered a very socially-conscious message in this video. Earlier this week, Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera made a statement against hip-hop, arguing that, "Hip-Hop has done more damage for young African-Americans than racism in recent years." It is clear that for Alsina, who admits to having sold drugs in the streets, hip-hop may have saved his life.
In his last album, Testimony, August sang about some very heavy personal issues such as his struggle with violence, dealing with the murder of his older brother, being homeless, and selling drugs to overcome poverty. In an interview with The Source, the singer talked about what life was like growing up in New Orleans. He stated, "It's something that you just gotta experience for yourself. You know we the murder capital ... The way we brought up, it's very different. It's get it how you live, it's a dog-eat-dog world, it's a jungle, and if you make it out of New Orleans you a true soldier and I made it out. I'm one of the ones that made it out."
In the song, the lyrics speak about praying for better days and change to come. He sings, "Came up in criminal days/Living in these criminal ways/Hugging the block everyday/Grindin' and making a way/At night I pray for better days/That it don't be the same tomorrow/Now I celebrate my sorrows with this bottle/And say Hip-Hop." Alsina ends the video with a scene reminiscent of 2Pac's "Keep Ya Head Up," with the singer holding a baby, walking through his old neighborhood with a group of youth behind him.
Watch the full video below and let us know what you think of "Hip-Hop."
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