Kanye West Debuts Interactive Video for 'Black Skinhead'

What's This?

By Sean Fitz-Gerald2013-07-22 15:21:10 -0400

The wait is over and the frustration has (momentarily) subsided. Self-proclaimed music god Kanye West today released the official version of his "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD" music video.

On the heels of a mini Twitter outburst and an unofficial leak, the new visuals from the Yeezus song were premiered on West's website in an interactive format that lets you speed up and slow down the clip, as well as take screenshots with a cursor that flips you off (see above).

The video also comes shortly after West proclaimed that the second verse of his "New Slaves" track was the best rap verse of all time. He took to Twitter to open up the floor for debate:

BLKKK SKKKN HEAD Opening

Book-ended by figures in black hoods reminiscent of Ku Klux Klan regalia, the music video (above) mashes up the racially charged imagery as a backdrop to the song's lyrics.

"For my theme song / My leather black jeans on / My by-any-means on / Pardon, I'm getting my scream on / Enter the kingdom / But watch who you bring home / They see a black man with a white woman / At the top floor they gone come to kill King Kong," West spits in the first verse. "Middle America packed in / Came to see me in my black skin / Number one question they asking / Fuck every question you asking / If I don't get ran out by Catholics / Here come some conservative Baptists / Claiming I'm overreacting / Like them black kids in Chiraq bitch."

(According to Urban Dictionary, Chiraq is a word used to describe Chicago because of its high crime rates, though not without some controversy.)

BLKKK SKKKN HEAD Closing

The emcee himself — or a retro, motion-capture animated version of himself, rather — is shown shirtless throughout the video, shrouded in darkness, with a glistening chain around his neck and what could perhaps be flashes of unseen paparazzi providing the only sources of light. Here are some snapshots:

BLKKK SKKKN HEAD dancing

Crowd

YEEZUS

BLKKK SKKKN HEAD chain

The "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD" video was directed by Nick Knight, in collaboration with West's creative house, DONDA. The screenshots from the video can be synched, posted and shared across all online and mobile social platforms.

Knight and West have teamed up for much of Yeezus' imagery, including the "guerrilla" outdoor projections of "New Slaves," which went viral on Vine and Twitter earlier this year.

West seemed excited about the unique functionality of the video on Monday, imploring viewers to visit his site via Twitter:

BLKKK SKKKN HEAD