I never thought I’d see the day where one of my favourite rapper/producers would be affiliated with Vanity Fair in any sort of way, but it looks like it came. The link between the two comes from one man – Don Cheadle – and a short film directed for Vanity Fair’s Decades Series by the actor called H8DES, which depicts the 80s era of technology, “Reaganomics” and the emergence of AIDS. What makes the film different to other depictions of the 80s is its darker tone without the big shoulder pads and vivid neon colours. Cheadle chose to give H8DES a dingy atmosphere. To push that intention further, Black Milk was recruited to provide the audio and intensify the harrowing undertones of a decade with its own serious problems. I felt that the video didn’t do enough to convey its message effectively but the music was definitely on point – succinctly disturbing.
Stream it below.
