See Toronto By Bus In Clairmont The Second’s Video For “Lames”

The rapper gives us a street-level view of the west end.

April 22, 2016

When you're a teenager, thinking about your future can be a little overwhelming. Making choices about the years to come is thriling, and tough. Recently, as the end of high school approached, Toronto rapper and producer Clairmont The Second had to navigate this quandary: basketball, or music. The lanky teen chose the latter, and in September he released A Mixtape By Clairmont The Second, a well-received project that has him rapping over beats by DJ Pooh and J Dilla, and features his brother, Cola, on the intro.

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Today, we’re premiering the video for “Lames (All I Hear),” from that project. It’s a self-produced track, he writes in an email; and the energy of the growling beat, the most contemporary one on his mixtape, matches Clairmont’s charged up flow. Watch as he rides the bus around the city, stops by a D$llar Thrill, and dances in front of abandoned buildings wearing the most iconic of seaonal gear: a pristine, thigh-length Hudson’s Bay wool coat.

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As I started to get more attention in music, I was getting approached by a lot of different people: people I haven't spoken to in years talking about how they can help my career, as well as new people telling me how they can help. I wrote this song about where I am in my career, my decision to not choose basketball, and other people's behavior. This song is about the lames who are trying to be a part of my career for themselves, and not necessarily because they like my music.

See Toronto By Bus In Clairmont The Second’s Video For “Lames”