Part of Refined Hype's (usually) noble mission is to take hip-hop being made below the surface of the mainstream and give it some much deserved hype. In that spirit may I present the video for Bambu's Crooks & Rooks, a cinematic piece which may just be the best hip-hop video of the year.
An L.A. based artist who left gang life to devote his energies to making music, Crooks and Rooks loosely tells Bambu's life story as he grows from a young drug runner to a grown man dedicated to raising his son and helping his community. The video's a gripping account of his life story and a rare glimpse into Asian-Americans' often overlooked place in urban America and hip-hop in general. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the music's damn good too.
I first caught Crooks & Rooks at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival this spring and immediately thought it was the best video I've seen all year. Well, fall is here and I still don't think I've seen anything better (with all due respect to Mack 10's cinematic masterpiece So Sharp.) If you've got other submission for video of the year leave a comment below or email me (nathan[at]refinedhype.com).
Crooks & Rooks was directed by Patricio Ginelsa for Kid Heroes Productions and Xylophone Films. To find out more about Bambu, click here.
Public Enemy said it best: don’t believe the hype. Urban music and culture has found a home online, but with the explosion of new content appearing online everyday, it’s become difficult to separate what’s real with what’s just hype.
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