Token’s New Video Looks At The Toll Social Media Has Taken On Our Self Esteem
Token is using the platform he’s building to take on one of his generation’s biggest internal battles: body image and social media’s exploitation of it. Now, via his latest video, the Boston-based rapper uses his own experiences to relay the struggle kids face in school and on the Internet. Directed by Ben Proulx in coordination with Token, “One Like Equals” is the second installment to a video trilogy he’s releasing and depicts a young girl using social media to document serious and emotional moments in her life, which he believes helps comforts them during times of tragedy and hardship. Talks about how likes, views and shares makes one feel validated.
“I’ve seen so many girls that I grew up with turn to social media for acceptance and attention,” he explained in a statement alongside the video release. “It’s like, when you have insecurity problems or something traumatic happens in life, these ‘likes’ on social media turn into an emotional crutch; the more you get, the more loved you think you are.”
Token Is Learning Success In The Industry Doesn’t Come Without New Problems (Video)
The video continues on and shows the girl turn into a woman, who eventually tries to start up a modeling career in order to (she believes) increase the public’s approval of her existence. “When the rent’s due one like equal couple grand,” Token raps in the video. “And the landlord is a hater if he doesn’t understand / Fuck it, man, look at all the love that I get on command / I don’t really be giving a fuck about what anybody saying to me anymore, look at me, mom, my life is a brand.” In the end, she finds out that it all wasn’t for her and realizes the “likes” came at the cost of something she wasn’t really comfortable with.
Most recently, Token dropped the first video in his visual trilogy. “Code Red” was released last month and also reveals conflicting internal thoughts the rapper has had though out his life. Aside from that, Token was headlining his own tour. The “Have You Seen Him? Tour,” made stops all across North America and Europe and ended late last year.