R&B/Hip-Hop artist Tory Lanez tackles police brutality in the music video for “Shooters,” the lead offering from his forthcoming album, Memories Don’t Die.
A 2-minute short film launches the video, which may be disturbing to some, especially in the wake of NFL athletes protesting against police brutality peacefully. In the clip, Lanez and a friend break into a police officer’s home and murder him at gunpoint, claiming it’s for the revenge of his dead cousin. Before the shooting, two officers on patrol noticed the two men going into the home, heard the shots, and approached Lanez and his partner after they committed the crime. With guns blazing, the officers make derogatory comments and shoot Lanez’s accomplice before Lanez fires back, which also led to his demise.
Following the controversial intro, Lanez went on to show off all the negative aspects of hip-hop, which includes guns, drugs, jewelry, and scantily dressed females, which he lays between.
According to Lanez, the video was inspired by JAY-Z’s “Time: The Kalief Browder Story.”
“His story had me surfing the internet to research all the different cases of people who were wrongfully charged and looking up the rate of how many unarmed black people get shot in a year – well in the last year – and then how many of those officers were indicted,” he told Billboard. “It was over hundreds of deaths and the percentage of the officers who were convicted was below one percent.”
“I imagined that there are times when those families have thought, ‘What if I could go kill the officer who killed my son or nephew?’” he added. “What I’m trying to preach and show with this message is no matter how you may feel about it, violence is not the answer. Even with the cops, killing us ain’t the answer either.”
“The song may not be the most ‘conscious’ song, but it’ll make you listen so much that you’ll want to watch the video,” he said. “You’ll get the message from there.”
Like the current NFL protest, which lost its message of police brutality due to people claiming it’s disrespecting the veterans and the flag, Lanez message may also get lost, primarily since he was armed when police shot him. He also just murdered a police officer, which travels well beyond the purpose of creating awareness around this serious social issue.
We digress! Watch the video below and let us know you thoughts!
Since 2005, Singersroom has been the voice of R&B around the world. Connect with us via social media below.
