(Photo By Press Release)
Emcee/singer/actor Collins. is representing for Phoenix, Arizona and has been making a name for himself as of late. He is performing this year at South by Southwest and just recently dropped a project called Sincerely, The Mixtape. From that tape comes the track “Brooklyn Basement,” with some pretty dope visuals to match.
The song (produced by Qux) is the quintessential Hip-Hop track; it is a soul sample over a sharp snare and nasty kick drum. The hi hats and cymbals add a bounce to the overall song that kept my head bobbing and I personally love the stripped down sound of the track. The vocals snatched from the sample are dropped in and out perfectly and make the track reminiscent of “Otis” from Kanye West and Jay-Z. Collins. definitely did not disappoint lyrically, with gems like: “They say pussy, money, weed, trifecta. Sike, you some pussy money fiends. That’s why pussy running things.” That line made me rewind the whole track to see what else I was missing.
Directed by Iroc Daniels and Collins. himself, the video has a couple of simple yet nice shots that complement the song’s tone and message. One of the main things I loved was the constant layering of transparent images and scenes over what appeared to be backdrops of the Brooklyn borough. It added to the grittiness and East Coast vibe that the track carries. The shots of the female with gold slugs was a nice touch that took me back to Nas and his Illmatic days. There are also constant references to The Notorious B.I.G. (a Brooklyn native we are all familiar with, baby baby uh) through images like his face on the dollar bill and a Biggie hoodie donned by Collins. himself. Also, the colors in the video stay drab and dark, with black being the main choice for attire. That again helps capture that raw feel Collins. is trying to portray in the song.
**Final Thoughts: Overall, the track and the video are both crazy good and work well with each other. I always looked at music videos as extended (yet creative) pitches to check out someone’s full project and/or other music; this video makes me want to hear more of Collins. right away. -Real McCoy
