Avelino can’t wait to be king

Full of imitations of opulence and markers of traditional class wealth, Avelino narrates a rise and fall of power and art in his new music video, Higher Power.

With references to Castro, the English gentry, and Italian mafiosos, Avelino brings us through a history lesson of success while engaging in Black culture and celebration. Surrounded by his friends, who nod in time but never move much past that, the cuts between eras and ideas are smooth and create an unexpected shift in the scenery through movement. In one scene Avelino slows down, almost in stop motion, as the camera turns and his entourage appears in and out of the frame. 

Clever and unexpected, without objectification or commodification, director Nadira Amrani has crafted a unique video for the rapper. The lyric's nods to political strife, including refugees and worker exploitation, are exposed in film beautifully. Blink Productions as well has done an excellent job of highlighting Avelino’s expressive movements throughout Higher Power, and the camera work and editing adding to the dry humor of the filmed content.