[M]ost of the news surrounding T.I. over the past week centered on a lawsuit over $700,000 worth of unpaid jewelry. Maybe the rapper has started investing that cash into something more important?
In the midst of the lawsuit, T.I. was busy doing some good through the launch of AKOO’s Fall collection 11x Human.
The 11x Human campaign promotes social consciousness and unity amongst all human beings, almost as much it publicizes T.I’s latest Fall collection.
The visuals of director John Merizalde take on a new meaning thanks to the narration provided by rapper Killer Mike. Mike could be on his way to being a politician himself, thanks to his high-profile appearance with Bernie Sanders in Atlanta.
“Understand the heaviness of my words as I speak to you. Humanity has reached a crux. When will we value art and ideas over money and commerce? When will we truly listen to our religious prophets and ignore profits? Where have we lost all our humanity?” – Killer Mike
The interesting 5-minute video is more like a short documentary about the converging lives of white and black cops, a teen who gets robbed, the teen who robbed him and the ensuing police chase.
“A brand rooted in Hip-Hop, it was impossible for them to ignore the current state of America,” director John Merizalde explained in a post on DirectorsNotes.com. “Their clothing features various racially and politically charged messages.”
When T.I. conceptualized the campaign, he set out send a message about black-on-black violence and the need for self-accountability.
“Our goal was to be reflective of the violence that we inflict on our own community and not just limit the focus on external factors such as poverty, poor education and the actions of the police,” Sabai Burnett, vp of Marketing at Akoo told Ad Week. “This film is the crescendo of our artistic viewpoint—heavily graphic and unapologetic. ‘If not us, who? If not now, when?’”
The 11X Human collection from AKOO is due in stores this fall.
Oh – if you’re wondering why 11, it’s the number of times Eric Garner said “I can’t breathe” as he was strangled by the NYPD.
Check out the video below:
