Arts, Music, Review

Aminé is Too Cool for School in “BLACKJACK” Video

Aminé’s ONEPOINTFIVE, a self-described “EP/LP/Mixtape/Album,” offers more of the bass-rattling, intelligent rap people have come to expect from the Portland native after his debut Good For You (2017), with the new album serving as an outsider standout of 2018. On Wednesday, Jan. 23, the “Caroline” breakout star released the music video for his single “BLACKJACK.”

The “BLACKJACK” music video takes the rapper’s audience through the halls of Aminé’s “School of Rap”—a clear homage to Jack Black’s School of Rock—where he is, naturally, the coolest kid in school. The video follows Aminé and the rest of his uniform-clad crew as they goof off in class, dance through the hallways, and generally wreak havoc in their small private school.

The video opens with the sound of a school bell and a close-up of a jacket emblazoned with the school’s coat of arms, a yellow badge with the school’s initials framed by a microphone and a solo cup. The scene then cuts to a classroom where Aminé and his friends misbehave as their disgruntled teacher, played by Internet personality Ricky Thompson, looks on in disgust. In the same vein, the rest of the video is made up of alternating clips of Aminé and his crew dancing in an empty classroom, giving speeches to themselves in the auditorium, getting their heads dunked into toilets, and stirring up mischief in the lunchroom.



In a final scene that is sure to draw laughs, Aminé interacts with his disgruntled stepfather in the car—also played by himself—after a long day at school. Asked how school was, Aminé responds that “it was okay” in the noncommittal way most teenagers do, hoping to downplay the severity of his rebellious behavior. He is immediately called out for “acting out,” however, and has to endure a rant that is equal parts entertaining and hilarious.

The “BLACKJACK” music video has even received a celebrity star of approval. Jack Black, from who the song draws its name, took to his YouTube channel ‘Jablinski Games’ on Friday, Jan. 25 to applaud Aminé’s efforts, calling the video “beautiful” and mentioning that he “was touched” by the gesture.

Aminé’s content is always fresh and creative, and his recent music video is no different. Despite a lack of plot, “BLACKJACK” is full of the fun comedy that makes Aminé so likeable and keeps his fans excited for what’s to come.

Featured Image by Republic Records

January 27, 2019