As we await the highly anticipated album It is What it is from Thundercat, his rollout for the project is attention-grabbing and has even turned into somewhat of a meme. This isn’t uncharacteristic of the musician, because although his skills on the bass are out of this world, he enjoys what he does every step of the way and never takes himself too seriously which I think is ultimately the secret to his undeniable success. I think the mixture of his beyond artistic skills when playing the bass and his nonchalant personality combine to make some incredible music that appeals to larger crowds than just Jazz fans or comedy enthusiasts.
He just released another single that I wrote about not too long ago called “Dragonball Durag”, so I won’t go into major details about the song itself. I will, however, refresh your memory a bit by pointing out how the production is soulful and intricate with comical lines being spoken in the form of a love song style. I only bring this up because he just dropped a video for the song, and he even tapped the unbelievably funny Zack Fox to direct it, so you know it’s going to be outrageous.
The visual has an Adult Swim aesthetic and vibe, with public access-like cameras providing just the right amount of blurriness to give it that local news on-location feel. Thundercat is dressed in a very colorful Gucci outfit as he waters his grass, sings his lyrics, and dances around a public park. He eventually comes across a Dragonball durag in a pile of junk, claiming it for himself, eventually turning into somewhat of an atypical ladies’ man. I say atypical because instead of attracting these women, he approaches them in the most confident yet strangest ways possible, leading him to get denied immediately. It finally works when he jumps out of a garbage can, catching a fine woman’s attention as she gets dragged away by her friends. As she escapes, she motions for Thundercat to call her which seems to be a victory in his book.
In all honesty, whether you like the song or not, this might’ve been the most entertaining music video I’ve seen all year. Some of the dance moves and approaches Thundercat used were so bizarre yet hilarious, and the fact that he seemingly didn’t get the fact that he was being denied left and right so he just kept persevering was gold. Maybe it’s just my sense of humor which is why I find it so fantastic, but it’s unlike any other music video I’ve seen this year and possibly ever. You surely won’t be disappointed by the new visual for “Dragonball Durag”, so press play and see it in all of its obscurity for yourself.
Words by Danny Adams