This Video Shows Why You Used to Love Hip-Hop…And Still Should (Video)

In the video for “Still Love Her,” Albuquerque, New Mexico MC Wake Self incorporates touchstones that any Head will appreciate. With a beautiful visual homage to A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory album cover, a conceptual foundation built on the artwork for Common’s Resurrection, a nod to De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, a spoken introduction from J Dilla’s mother Ma Dukes, and some high-quality bars mentioning the likes of Cormega and Nas, the lyric video goes above and beyond that particular canon of music videos. Fans will also recognize the song’s title, a reference to Common’s classic 1994 joint “I Used to Love H.E.R.”

Also featuring DJ Young Native and Emilio Semihazah, “Still Love Her” will appear on Wake Self’s forthcoming LP, Malala, a project which seems to be named after the Nobel Peace Prize winning social activist Malala Yousafzai. According to him, the song’s meaning is both deeply personal and universal. “I’m not one of those people who is stuck in the so called ‘Golden Era’ because I do believe great music has been, will be and is still being made,” he says. “I feel a deep attachment, however, to classic Hip-Hop music. I feel like we as a culture need to start recognizing our heroes and teachers like other cultures and music genres do.” With a flip of Hiatus Kaiyote’s “Nakamarra” and some similarities to Erykah Badu’s video for “Honey,” “Still Love Her” is a thoughtful snapshot of yesterday and today.

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