In the seventh installment of his long running “Ill Mind†series of videos, Hopsin goes beyond merely challenging his fellow rappers or the current generation, as he did in prior videos. Instead, he is challenging the Lord Almighty Himself. Hopsin has always prided himself on being the antithesis to more mainstream rappers, such as Lil’ Wayne and Soulja Boy, by always putting true thought into his lyrics, as opposed to the stereotypical “riches ‘n’bitches†approach. He pushes the listener and challenges them intellectually. With his seventh installment, he confesses the loss of his Christian faith and challenges God to prove hisu existence.
The visuals for this video are perfectly simplistic. It’s just Hopsin alone in the desert. Nothing more, and nothing less. No cut scenes, no flashing lights, no cash raining down from the sky. Simply Hopsin and his conflicted thoughts in the middle of a wasteland. Anything more would be detrimental to the quality of the video.
The production values, like the visuals, are wonderfully toned down. Hopsin is backed up by what comes across as an angelic, if somewhat off-putting, choir. The choir, coupled with the desolate environment, truly do help draw the viewer in and bring them into the dark place that Hopsin has reached in his soul. His mind has become a ruined land, and he is desperately searching for the oasis of truth, whatever that may be.
As always, the true gem in the video is Hopsin’s lyricism, and he has brought his A+ game. With every line he spits you can hear his mind cracking as his soul struggles for a purpose without his faith. He wants to believe, but his brain is pulling him away. Without his faith, he feels lost. He loses his moral and philosophical compass.He just wants an answer, straight from the mouth of God himself.
This is not a song for the closed-minded. Hopsin will possibly make you question your own faith. If you can appreciate true hip-hop poetry, then you will devour it. Come and take a trip into the depths of the ill mind.
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