(Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat)
Rap duo, Atmosphere, has just released a new music video for their song “Pure Evil,” directed by Andrew Melby. The video covers the very important topic of police brutality in America, and comes from their upcoming record.
Earlier this year, Atmosphere announced that they would release a new album, Fishing Blues. The album is expected to drop this summer on August 12th, 2016 via Rhymesayers.
The duo have released several singles this year already, from “This Lonely Rose” that features Blueprint and Aesop Rock, to “No Biggie.” Now the band has released their next single “Pure Evil.”
Both the song and the video address police brutality, a topic that is at the forefront of the United States’ identity. In the video we see a police officer travel through a barren desert, and flashbacks of a critical moment in the officer’s career. As a result of the shooting, the police officers burns his uniform in the middle of the desert.
The significance of the police officer’s uniform is addressed in the song itself as well, “I know I’m more than just a badge and a weapon/ But, when you see me comin’/ You recognize my profession/ You should believe that Ima leave an impression/ Even if it means I gotta put my knee on your neck, man.” This is in direct reference to the slew of police brutality incidents that have far too frequently occurred in the United States in recent years.
Atmosphere isn’t the first music group to address police brutality. Most notably, another rap duo, Run the Jewels, covered this topic as well in one of their music videos. The music video for , “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) ft. Zach De La Rocha”, similarly addresses faults in police brutality, albeit more direct than Atmosphere’s video.
Take a look at the new music video for “Pure Evil” below.