Sole and DJ Pain1’s video for their track “Baghdad Shake” highlights the cheeky way Sole eases us into the serious issues. Written when Sole saw our invasion and destruction of Iraq as a distant memory, the relevance of “Baghdad Shake” escalates once again, given our politically charged division in D.C. over the recent insurgency. The song, off their album Death Drive, tackles big issues yet DJ Pain1’s production, known previously for collaborations with Young Jeezy, renders the information digestible in a modern rap tableau.
Sole’s vision for the video sums up the approach nicely; “with ‘Baghdad Shake’ I wanted to make something different and artistic, something that involved live dancers and pretty colors.” Video director Walter Gross was inspired by Sole’s ability to “turn the world in on itself in a viciously funny kind of way”, he said, and in line with Sole’s vision, notes “it seemed fitting to have dancers juxtaposed with images of shit blowing up infused with lovely colors.”
The video is exactly that; colors, Sole, three dancers, and a distorted, dynamic background. The whole thing makes something ugly, fun.
Sole & DJ Pain1’s Death Drive is out now on Bandcamp.
