YG’s Black Lives Matter-themed ‘FTP’ Video Behind the Scenes – Various

If there is a music video that captures Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, it is YG’s “FTP” – which is obviously an abbreviation for “Police”. The song and clip are a tribute to N.W.A’s legendary 1988 song of the same name, as well as “FDT (F— Donald Trump),” a tribute to YJ’s 2016 late Nipsey Hushal.

“FTP” clip – June was filmed in Los Angeles during a demonstration with Black Lives Matter, YG and BLD drawing a crowd with PWR that the BLM estimated at about 100,000 people, one of the largest in the city’s history – also academic and Black Live Matters Los Angeles Chapter co-founder Melina Abdullah and actor Kendrick Sampson to Justin Bieber / Ariana Grande’s manager Scooter Brown are some of the notable personalities. [seen at the 1:52 mark]Who also manages Kanye West.

The video was directed and instantly turned around by Kariuki (who just likes to go by that name), the founder of Denial Approval, a YouTube channel and clothing line as well. Diversity He was caught up in how the clip came together – and how he felt Criticism from rapper Chika And others who have felt that YG has exploited the march to make videos and much more.

How did you get started in the industry?
It all started with this A-7 Ferg concert – I saw my Homi skipping the whole line. [because he was] Shooting photos. I was already a photographer, but I didn’t know it was a thing. So two weeks later I was at Toronto’s Ovio Fest and thought, “Let me jump in as a concert photographer, see what happens”, and the short story of the long story, I went there and met Drake, Kanye, Rihanna, and This was my introduction to the game. This is about denied approval: “Don’t wait for someone’s approval to do what you want to do.” “Even when I was trying to video in high school, they always told me, ‘You’re not going to quit this job.’

How do you manage “FTP” video?
The raw form of the YouTube culture of denied approval. The other day, I went to film the riots – shot a lot of stuff, edited that night, uploaded it. It got 200K on Instagram, which was great because I have never had a video like that on IG TV. YG’s team reached out to me saying, “Yeah, YG saw your video and he really wants you to manage this new song” FTP “.”

I really wanted to show people the reality, but also changed a perspective. The name of the song is “FTP” so it’s definitely biased, but I wanted to give the reasoning, the understanding and the sensibility for that bias and the reconstruction, the hardest sheet – people feel like they’re there, people get hit in the face. With a stick by the police.

Talk about capturing riot footage, were you there in the heat of what was going on?
I’m actually in the video, [3:06] Mark, so that was my first hand experience. Personally, it felt so good: all the built-up aggression was left there [burning] Police car. Now, I think I can move on mentally. I don’t hate cops like me, but I don’t like what’s going on.

At the time, I didn’t know how crazy it was because we kept going. But as it happens, it’s bigger than me. It’s a real, global thing that’s happening, a sense of unity.

How many cameras and people were used to capture the video?
I shot all the performances, all the riot B-rolls, then we pulled the news clip from YouTube. We asked the kid who got that famous drone shot if we could use it. So those were 70% of me, 10% of the news, 10% of random people who were. I used a camera – I own a camera, a lens. No crew, all my videos are powered and done.

How long did it take to make the video?
After our shoot was over, I overburdened the airport from the rally – I had to go to Sacramento to shoot another music video, we’ve been shooting since 8pm. From 4 a.m., I was in L.A. Back at 6:06 I got on the flight and went straight to YG’s house. We were straight for two days, there was a very good time around me where he was right there. He doesn’t want to sleep – he says “I’m sitting here. If I fall asleep, wake me up again. ” [laughs]

Talk about the celebrities who came to support: Melina Abdullah, Kendrick Simpson, Scooter Brown.
I won’t lie, I didn’t notice it – everyone had a mask. I didn’t realize it so far, but it’s still empowered to look for these people.

You said Brown you hit during the editing process?
YZ and I were sitting there, he was on the phone with someone for 25 minutes, then he passed me the phone. Yizi said, “You know who, right?” I said, “Nah, who?” “Scooter Brown.” We look at each other like crazy. It seemed that YG was even more surprised that he was trying to help it.

What was that conversation?
He says he really liked the way the video was going and if we’re going to do it right we need to make sure it’s okay. Scooter said, “I’m going to pull you over to the boy, we can talk about it together.” He pulled home and was with us for two hours. We had a meeting about how we get the right message and hit people the right way. On the phone, I told him I had an idea about putting the baby’s voice at the end, [with the idea being to] Show anger, then this anger [exists]. I played this voice recording over the phone for about a minute, thinking, “This guy either thinks I’m a complete fool or he’ll go away with it,” and Scooter said, “I like it. We have to do it.” “

The record is N.W.A. Its “F ** k pays homage to the police”. What about visuals?
It contains that new energy. Obviously we can relate to the N.W.A but we can’t, because we don’t know the pain they are feeling. We know history repeats itself but we didn’t feel it, we don’t feel it. I’m going to create a new page in a new history book.

What did you say about the criticism that YG made, that he attended the protest, posed and then left?
This is information without context. People don’t know that all the meaning of the song goes to Black Lives Matter. This makes it even more important for me to do a good job: we’re showing them a – hole. Even if it wasn’t for him, many people wouldn’t be there. You have to look at what has happened regardless of what people think.

What do you think about this moment in history with Black Lives Matter and Blackout Tuesday and similar movements?
Dope for it to become so big and real, you can feel it. It’s a bit scary because it can twist with something like this – you have to keep an eye on the people who take advantage of it. This is a super dope movement. I hope everyone will accept everything with their own opinion, and not everyone is doing it.