Last week, Milwaukee rapper Vincent Van Great released one of the most surprising Milwaukee projects of the year, a seven-song collaborative EP called "Troublemakers" that sounds little like anything either have recorded. "I really want to emphasize that this project is me showcasing that I can produce, write, and perform genres outside of hip-hop," Van Great told us, and sure enough the project leans heavily on supple soul, snappy R&B and hot-and-heavy funk.
Today the two have premiered a video for one of the EP's standouts, the lusciously funky "Double Strawberry Plush." You can watch it below, where you'll also find the complete EP.
Amanda Huff's artist statement
As with making the EP, the underlying theme to every facet of the "Troublemakers" project was embracing a sense of play. Stepping out of comfortable modes of working to explore new personas, new aesthetics, new artistic depths. So much of art in general is knowing when to take yourself seriously, and when to release yourself from those bounds, and I really think that's what we accomplished here. "Double Strawberry Plush" is flirty, it's cheesy, it's sensual, it's high energy. It understands the sweet space of humans trying to court one another, and leans in.
In making the music video for this track, leaning in is exactly the mantra I took with me. Trying to stay conscious of the pandemic, there were so many logistics to work around, such as the crew size and safety. When you're trying to make a sexy album, that constant distance around you can make it difficult to remember what role you're trying to play. Vincent really came through strong, though. Green screen for the distance, costume changes for the play, three of each of us? Why not, let's do this. Like all his work, Vincent comes at art with such a sense of fearlessness and confidence, and I think this video shoot was really a big learning curve for me to step out of my shell and try to reciprocate that energy. How monumental, to be able to have fun!
The video was directed by Vincent Van Great, and shot and edited by Blizz of “Alpha VZN.”