Makonnen has had a pretty interesting year for himself. While in 2016 he announced that he'd be leaving the OVO imprint, he spent a good chunk of the year continuing to make music without the support of the label. However, he did at one point say he'd be retiring (which clearly didn't happen). Earlier this year, he took to Twitter to reveal that he was homosexual. This morning, he released the Rae Sremmurd assisted single "Love" and a few hours later, we receive the visual treatment for the song.
The song itself feels like it should've been dropped in June for it's surf-rock vibe on the production but the video comes with a 90's high school aesthetic, appropriate since school just kicked off this week. Makonnen opens up the video at the beach, hanging out and burning a blunt before he ends up at the drive-in where Rae Sremmurd make their appearance. It has the attitude of a Fall Out Boy track during their peak and in all honesty, the video kind of comes across in the same vein.
Makonnen has been known for his unconventional approach to hip hop. While he was still making some bangers and working with artists like Gucci Mane, Rich the Kid and many other different artists in his career, his sound never fit in with what was going on. Instead, he approached it in his own way that made him stick out with his voice, melodies and overall attitude. While he's often categorized as a rapper, he clearly doesn't allow that label to define how his music comes out.
We're not sure what the next move for Makonnen will be but with Love out, there's a good chance we'll be getting more music from the former OVO artist and hopefully, it comes in the form of a full-length project.