Though he hasn't had the most prolific year, Massachusetts-bred rapper Joyner Lucas is making an impact with everything he puts out. In April, he caught a wave of attention for dropping easily one of the best "Panda" remixes out there. His new release, a song and video entitled "I'm Sorry," is something far more serious. Tackling the subject of suicide, Lucas' latest piece of art is brave, heartbreaking, and most of all, necessary.
The video stars renowned British spoken word artist Suli Breaks. He plays a friend of Lucas', and begins the video preparing to hang himself with a belt. Lucas raps out what's supposed to be his friend's suicide letter, as Breaks is there behind him, preparing to step off of the chair underneath him while mouthing and acting out Lucas' lyrics with gut-wrenching emotional clarity.
The second half of the video takes place at the funeral, as Lucas confronts his friend's corpse with an outburst of anger, pain, and regret. More than anything, the video is a call to address the oft-taboo subject of suicide with the same gravity that Lucas has on "I'm Sorry." Tragedies like the one depicted in the video are far too common to overlook.
The video ends with this message:
One person commits suicide every 16. 2 minutes.
If you or anyone you know suffers from suicidal thoughts and depression, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
1-800-273-8255
Lucas tells FADER, "This video is meant for someone to look and his or herself and make a decision: Is this what you wanna do?