Last year, Royce Da 5'9" dropped off one of the strongest albums of the bunch, his incredibly personal Book Of Ryan. Now, months after the project's initial release, Royce has come through with a new music video, choosing the emotional centerpiece cut "Cocaine." The track, which finds Royce reflecting on his childhood, deals with the powerful hold of substance abuse, as well as the effects it can have on a family. Grounded by a storyteller's pace and impeccable attention to detail, "Cocaine" finds Royce operating in a refreshingly melodic territory.
The song's subdued nature and cinematic quality are reflected in the video, which juxtaposes dual threads; a reflective, current day Royce, and his childhood self, actively living through the vivid lyrical content. As the clip reaches its emotional conclusion, the visuals change scenery accordingly. It's a subtle, yet powerful addition to an already loaded piece of writing, and we can only hope to see more Book Of Ryan clips in the future. The narrative nature certainly lends itself well to the medium, and songs like "Power" and "Amazing" would make for great video contenders.
