In lieu of his performance at the Afropunk Festival in Atlanta this weekend, which was cancelled due to extreme weather, Tyler, the Creator just released a wacky, yet controversial new music video for "Buffalo" off of his Cherrybomb album that dropped this spring. It's definitely not one for the faint-hearted and that's to be expected when one is creating a music video for a fuzz-trap song.
The video opens with Tyler, the Creator exhibiting a switch-a-roo in complete white face, with only a shot of his talking lips and then the camera backs up so that you can see his face and entire body. He sways back and forth looking rather demented. The video then switches instantly into a scene of the artist hanging from a noose on a dilapidated tree in blue shorts while a lynch mob approaches. For obvious reasons, this is exceedingly controversial. As the mob approaches, he continues to strangle himself.
The branch then breaks and Tyler, the Creator falls to the ground and loosens the noose from around his neck, slipping out to run from the lynch mob. He sways side to side in a monkey-like pose to escape them, finds a pair of jeans, as well as a shirt and puts them on as he continues his escape. The mob catches up and he continues to sway side to side as he runs from them, lighting what appears to be a joint along the way.
Once he escapes the mob, Tyler, the Creator continues to talk directly into the camera and then abruptly wipes the white face paint off, positioned at a podium to speak with his audience, who all stand up and clap once he has finished his speech. Then mid-scene he is shown on stage giving yet another speech to a receptive audience, with a band in the background. Some of them shake their heads during the speech before it transitions to a soulful performance with R&B era back-up singers and 70's style film quality.
Directed by Tyler, the Creator's alter ego, Wolf Haley, this video is definitely going to keep the interwebs buzzing for quite awhile
