Koder releases an unapologetic statement with his visual for Why You In The Endz?
The visual criticises gentrification that is taking place throughout London. Gentrification is where renovation of housing or an area occurs so the afore mentioned place conforms to middle class taste. This often means that more expensive housing is built in places where a lot of people are economically deprived, as well as local businesses being replaced by big corporate brands. This results in people actually from ends not being able to thrive and live in their own areas.
The issue of gentrification is highlighted in the visual when an older business man refuses to interact with anyone actually from the ends. This is emphasised by Koder when he spits, “Why you in the ends? Trying to take away the gold”; gentrification benefits the rich as they take from those less fortunate than themselves. This is shown in the visual again in the use of classic London imagery of the rapper in a chicken shop, yet everyone is taking his food from him; gentrification.
However, Koder reverses the imagery of people from ends being seen as deprived by humanising the video with the little girl, as well as subverting the class system by referring to people from ends as “Queens and kings”.
Anti establishment imagery is used a lot in this visual, especially with the use of the Anonymous masks which is a famous symbol of the protest. Bars such as ‘”I ain’t running from no sirens” are highlighted by the police officer replacing an innocent black man’s fork with a knife; he was trying to eat and better himself but instead he is painted as a villain. This relationship between police and young, black men is seen unfortunately, way too often.
Check out the powerful visual!
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