Stop What You’re Doing And Watch Sankofa’s “Dali Rolex”

Hey there, I know it’s Saturday and the weekend so you’ve got plenty of stuff going on. But do me a favor and take 3 1/2 minutes out of your day and watch the new video from Sankofa called “Dali Rolex”. He’s been hyping this for a while and it finally dropped. It was worth the wait.

If you’re paying attention you’ll know that Sankofa is one of the most prolific rappers in the Midwest. Hell, dare I say the most prolific rapper in the universe?(I think I just did.) By day, Sankofa, aka Stephen Bryden, is an educator of young minds as well as being a family man and all around hell of a good guy. By night, when everyone is asleep, Sankofa wakes and writes thoughtful, intelligent, and socially relevant rhymes wrapped in barbed wire. He’s got some of the most talented friends and collaborators that help him with beats, production, visuals, and vibe. Sankofa is a name that should be spoken with the same relevance as cats like Nas, De La Soul, EL-P, and(insert great MCs here.)

While the iron was still smoking from his last release BLKTCHP, Sankofa has dropped another smoking hot slab of digital wax called Floodgates. It’s yet another incredible collection of urgent, forward-thinking production and rhymes. And of course Sankofa’s delivery is razor-sharp. Spitting rhymes like a Midwest phonetic ninja.

With this release comes a new music video, and for one of my favorite tracks on the album. “Dali Rolex” almost has an untamed feel to it. Musically DJ Matty Lite creates an almost nightmare-scape with dissonant noise and some incredible turntable work from DJ Navin Johnson. It’s like rap music for the apocalypse, and looking back to a year ago I guess we sort of did go through the apocalypse. Sankofa has given us a soundtrack for our future dystopia.

The video is directed, filmed, and edited by visual maestro Bambi Guthrie. Guthrie locks into the songs urgency and desolation. It’s an absolutely stunning visual experience with quick edits, slow pans, and some impressive choreography from Popula, it’s as much a cinematic work as much as it’s a music video. Honestly, this is how I remember music videos to be and why they affected me so much growing up. They work to move the narrative of the song. I’m reminded of cats like Mark Romanek, Spike Jonze, Liz Friedlander; as well as modern filmmakers like Jordan Peele, David Robert Mitchell, and David Gordon Green.

Guthrie has worked with Sankofa on many projects over the years and each time she has established herself as a master of tone and mood. She locks into Sankofa’s world and gives it the visual presence it deserves.

Okay, so before you head out for the day grab another cup of coffee, a cinnamon roll, and hit play below. Then hit up Sankofa’s Bandcamp page and grab Floodgates. The Midwest MC is one step closer to world domination. Or at least one step closer to some dope new sneakers.