The infectious new single from Run The Jewels, “Ooh LA LA,” now has an equally intriguing video.
Shot in early March, just before the coronavirus impact unfurled, the video (watch below) features cameos from Greg Nice, DJ Premier and Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha. As Killer Mike and El-P spout their incisive lyrics about class divisions and capitalism, a crew of dancers, overhead hot air balloons and a large pile of burning money provide the visuals.
Though filmed on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles, there are nods to Killer Mike’s Atlanta hometown with his Atlanta Braves baseball cap and a Falcons sweater being worn by a front-row dancer.
The video was filmed by Brian and Vanessa Beletic (Brian directed the video for R2J’s breakout hit, “Legend Has It”); the song debuted in the season finale of “Ozark” on Netflix, boosting it into the Top 5 most Shazam’d songs in the country.
In a statement, Killer Mike and El-P expounded on the concept of the video.
"We shot this video only a few weeks before the pandemic hit with no clue as to what the future held. The fact that we got the chance to do it is damn near miraculous in hindsight. In conceptualizing the video with our friends Brian and Vanessa Beletic we imagined the world on the day that the age old struggle of class was finally over. A day that humanity, empathy, and community were victorious over the forces that would separate us based on arbitrary systems created by man. This video is a fantasy of waking up on a day that there is no monetary system, no dividing line, no false construct to tell our fellow man that they are less or more than anyone else. Not that people are without but that the whole meaning of money has vanished. That we have somehow solved our self-created caste system and can now start fresh with love, hope and celebration. It's a dream of humanity's V-DAY... and the party we know would pop off."
Run the Jewels hasn't announced the release date for "RTJ 4," but the duo was expected to pair with Rage Against the Machine for a world tour. In the meantime, they've shared a new line of T-shirts that are being sold as a fundraiser for their tour crew.
Follow the Atlanta Music Scene on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out the video for “Ooh LA LA” (and note, language).
About the Author
