Music Video: 'Venom' / Jesswar
Jesswar stands up against trickle-down diversity and stereotypes of cultural assimilation in her lethal track and music video “Venom”
In “Venom” Jesswar asserts “I’m ready to devour”. Though in this hard-hitting, gritty and powerful track it’s safe to say that we are the ones drooling to be devoured. It’s raucous, deliciously sinister and a big f*** you to all those who have used the rapper and communities as a test subject of trickle-down diversity and racial biases.
Directed by Colin Jeffs and Kevin Bar, the music video engenders the ferocious and passionate spirit where we see the Meanjin-based Fijian rapper unearth her mighty fangs thrusting her to a podium of Pasifika excellence.
Watch it below.
The thumping trap-beat and snarling full-bass is largely an extension of her previous battle tracks including her debut single “Savage” released in 2017. She references the vicious debut track which elevated her success (despite her inspiring rejection of mainstream definitions of success) when she raps “All the bad bitches, yeah I brought them to the front”.
While uniquely her own, Jesswar’s ascendancy to the throne largely reminds us of Zambian rapper Sampa the Great - both powerful womxn representing and empowering their heritage and communities while putting their fingers up to colonialism and western ethnocentric notions of hyper-individualism. Not to mention that they both produce tracks that slap like no other musically. Jesswar comments on the track:
“I wrote ‘Venom’ in 30 mins. I felt I had been muzzled in the Australian music industry and that definitely inspired the lyrics. I felt I'd been stifled so much that this chant erupted into what is now the track. I truly felt fearless, unbound and untouchable. ‘Venom’ is a war cry from the front line, I say it with my chest ‘COME AND GET IT’.”
The music video filmed in a large industrial warehouse decorated with fierce lighting and natural ornaments is a celebration of Jesswar’s community. She notes “It’s extremely important that my community is seen and seeing all the sissy’s come through felt like I had an army behind me. Venom is the perfect introduction into the world I’ve been dreaming up.”
Director Colin Jeffs adds, “We became heavily inspired by the Marvel/DC universes to portray Jess almost as a badass comic book character. The whole underground theme, looks and colours were inspired by movies like the Matrix and the slew of DC movies out there.”
Header image captured by Georgia Wallace (@georgiawallacepictorial)
Article by Margarita Bassova (@rxtabass)
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