Watch Kojey Radical’s Spoken-Word Sermon “Bambu”

A dense new video debut from the Ghanian-British writer.

April 20, 2015

In Ghanian-British poet Kojey Radical's "Bambu," nostalgia is a wicked, wicked temptress, as it is the rest of the time. Warm memories make for loyal footholds up a mountain of blank paper, and Kojey's spoken-word verse bursts from images of childhood walks and Nickelodeon themes. But things get heavier as he pulls toward a summit flagged with hanging bodies. Stark commentary on racial injustice isn't the only way Kojey might remind you of Kendrick: I wonder why we choose to stay in the dark like the pigment of Stevie's vision, he quips with a sense of humor on a subject so dark.

"It's nerve wrecking to think the video is actually out now," Kojey tells FADER of today's premiere, "but I know the visuals will speak for themselves; there's so much to be said about it's cultural relevance but also it's place within fashion, music and art. The film is social commentary at a time where we feel it's most important; we're challenging the conventions of what music videos have become, "urban" culture is a novelty. Every location in the film is another slice of life. This is London. This is our culture and reflection of it's appropriations." "Bambu" was directed by The Rest, catch the tune in rotation on BBC Radio 1.

Watch Kojey Radical’s Spoken-Word Sermon “Bambu”