If you were expecting the video for J. Cole's single "Crooked Smile" to be all heartwarming and feature TLC, then you thought wrong. Instead, the rapper opts for something a bit more thought-provoking and poignant. J. takes on the seldom heard story of Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a young Detroit girl who was shot and killed by a police officer during a raid on her home. In the clip, the rapper portrays an everyday man in the suburbs who we soon discover is also suspected of dealing drugs. Though most of the day shown seems ordinary enough, including a birthday party for a young girl we assume is his daughter, it's when we see the police barge through his front door that we realize that this won't have a happy ending. Before the clip closes, J. leaves us with a message to "please rethink your war on drugs." Though a bit of a downer given the overall uplifting message of the song, I must give props to Mr. Cole for using his artistic voice to send a socially conscious message in a time when most artists are focused on making their wrists colder and their bank accounts fatter.
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After the bounce
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