Jesswar says it best herself: “Got venom in my lyrics/Bodies drop when I spit it.” In her latest music video release for “Venom”, the Fijian rapper cycles through intense, neon-lit scenes with the self-assurance and expansive energy of 90s New York City emcees.
Surrounded by a cohort of powerful women dressed in black, Jessswar oozes confidence as she is escorted to her throne where she studies an underground M.M.A. fight between two women with the nonchalance of a Roman emperor. There is a fervor unfolding as slow-motion shots of the fight alternate with images of the crowd shouting with glee as each blow lands. There’s something delightfully cathartic about watching women indulge in a form of aggression typically reserved for men and backed by Jesswar’s no-fucks-given attitude.
“And you can tell by the way that I lean/That I do this with ease and it ain’t a damn thing/Off the stage, I still hear ‘em scream.” The taking of the throne is more than just a cinematic strategy — it’s a metaphor for Jesswar’s comeuppance as a woman of color in the male-dominated hip hop industry.
There’s something unapologetic in the way she carries herself throughout the video. Whether she’s clad in black leather, spitting bars in front of a Mercedes G-Wagon, or surrounded by her troop of badass women, Jesswar makes sure you know to watch out for her as she ascends.
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Sylvie Baggett is in constant search of the perfect sour candy, as well as a 2019 graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design where she majored in Writing and double-minored in Creative Writing and Fashion Journalism. Lately, she spends her time taking long walks through the woods accompanied by her feline companion, Bruce. Follow her on Instagram at sylvie_baggett.
