J. Cole had a lot to say when he dropped his latest single "Middle Child" about a month ago. While he made sure to talk about his place in the current hip-hop pantheon, he also boasted about his ability to murk the competition with his skillful rhymes. You would think that maybe that was all he'd be talking about when it came time for a video for the single. However, Mr. Cole has even more to say with the video for the single.
The Mez-directed video features the rapper in various locations, with the camera making sure to put him in the middle of the action at all times. That's not the only symbolism going on here, though. At times, it's revealed that he stands in the middle of an adoring crowd at what looks like an awards ceremony. At others, he's standing amid a field of covered bodies on stretchers. Then there's the moment that everyone will probably end up talking about the most. J. lounges by the fireside in a cabin looking like he just got done hunting. Mounted above the fireplace are the heads of SoundCloud rapper archetypes with "Your Favorite Rapper," "This Could Be You" and "Ask For A Feature" etched into the nameplates below them. There are other moments as well (including a look at white woman shopping for a black woman's face at the supermarket) but we'll leave you to catch them all.
There's still no word on what project J. Cole plans to place "Middle Child," but with the single giving him his highest chart performance on the Billboard Hot 100 ever, we're sure it'll be the star of wherever it happens to find a home. Until he makes that decision, see if you can discern some the many meanings found in the video for the song below.
