Common released his new album Black America Again on Friday (Nov. 4) and celebrated by dropping a 21-minute short film.
The stark black-and-white piece was executive produced by Selma and 13th director Ava Duvernay and directed by Selma‘s lead cinematographer Bradford Young.
The clip, Common tweeted, is a “meditation” on Black America Again, cutting between engaging and evocative portraits and a stylized look at Black America like visual poems: A woman singing gospel stands at a memorial for Freddie Gray and then walks around the neighborhood, a class of children excitedly learns in the park and Common raps on an empty street with a beat boxing drummer. It’s a vaguely abstract work that still emotes a powerful message.
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Watch below and listen to Common’s Black America Again here.