When it comes to his brand and career, Zane Smith is in full control. The rapper and producer out of Lithonia, GA assumes responsibility for every imaginable facet of his creative process—he writes, performs, and produces his own music; he shoots his own promotional photos and handles his own press; and he concepts, films, and directs his own music videos. His latest project is a new seven-song EP called Black, which is officially out Dec. 24, although it’s already available on DatPiff, iTunes, and other digital outlets.
As a whole, the EP is a dark, introspective journey that sees Zane Smith grappling with depression as he delves deep into questions of purpose and identity. Nowhere is this self-struggle more apparent than on “Black Life (Depressed),” a two-minute missive that takes an unflinching view of his frustrations as he teeters between his own spirituality and the insatiable demands of our materialist culture that values money and status over peace of mind. Throughout the track, his flow remains tight and focused, his words tumbling out one on top of the other in a series of stacked observations that reflect the mind of a man worn down by his thoughts and experiences.
Shot in stark black and white, the video opts for a simple metaphor—that of someone trapped in a ceaseless cycle of black thoughts. Although the cycle is occasionally slowed by turning to alcohol and other fleeting escapes, it is never broken. It’s a markedly grim vision, but not one entirely devoid of hope as Zane Smith alludes to the possibility of salvation through deep reflection and the divine. Watch above.
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