After quietly laying low for the middle half of 2015, Brooklyn denizens Flatbush ZOMBiES are back to bring the motherf*cking noise once again.
The trio of undead rappers Meechy Darko, Erick “Arc” Elliott and Zombie Juice return with the shadowy visuals to “Blacktivist,” directed by Mario Pfeifer. “Blacktivist” – which “is on view in New York at Ludlow 38 as part of a larger video installation by Mario Pfeifer until October 25, 2015″ – is part of a new upcoming EP that the Flatbush triad plan on releasing later this year:
Conceived as a collaborative project, it reflects on police brutality, selective enforcement, and the right of self-defense. Scenes reminiscent of the aesthetics of conventional music videos come together with found footage, documentary shots, and 3-D animations to form a critical analysis of our times. At its core, #blacktivist asks how violence and repression are negotiated and reappraised in a supposedly post-racial society. The exhibition runs through October 25.
#blacktivist aims to take a stand on current events. The title refers to “black activist on activist,” the first verse of the song by the Flatbush ZOMBIES, which is followed by ambiguous references to everyday and consumer culture in the United States. In addition to delivering critical commentaries on the world of television, the lyrics reflect about the First and Second Amendments, which protect the right to free speech, freedom of religion, as well as the right to bear arms for self-defense. In the video, the conflict between armed self-defense and escalating gun violence are juxtaposed with the meaning of images and the power of the voice. Sequences of police violence taken by surveillance and body cameras as well as mobile devices show the escalation of the conflict. In other scenes, the Flatbush ZOMBIES perform in a 3-D animated world between digital hashtags, cinematic transitions, and chroma key landscapes, while addressing current events in world politics. The narrative culminates with the rappers being reborn as pacifist freedom fighters.
