Rapper Kendrick Lamar presented on Sunday The Heart Part 5the first extract from his album to be released on May 13, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. In the music video illustrating the song, Lamar uses the deepfake to take on the features of Kanye West, OJ Simpson, Will Smith, Jesse Smollett, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.
Posted at 3:33 p.m.
The Heart Part 5 is thus the newest piece of the song series The Heartthe first part of which was released 12 years ago, just before the mix tape Overly Dedicated. The Heart Part 2 was the opening piece of the mix tape.
The music video for The Heart Part 5, minimalist but striking, was directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar himself. The latter, who can be seen in a chest shot all along the clip in front of a red wall, changes his face as he recites his verses.
In the opening seconds of the music video, the quote “I am. All of Us.” (I am. We all.) appears on a black background.
Some lyrics of The Heart Part 5 are in line with the features that Kendrick Lamar takes thanks to the deepfake. If he’s not talking directly about one person or another, he mentions bipolarity as he becomes Kanye West (who lives with this disorder) or murder as he takes on the face of Nipsey Hussle (murdered in 2019).
Mr. Morale & The Big SteppersKendrick Lamar’s fifth album, is due out Friday, five years after the acclaimed Damn.