The Matrix is undeniably one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. And in a year full of sickness and confinement, we too could have done with a Matrix-like simulation to live vicariously through from the comfort of our homes — consciously, of course. Clearly on the same wavelength, this is exactly what Lagos Alte scene pioneers DRB — Boj, Fresh L and Teezee, who co-founded The Native — explore in their new music video for “Trouble”. Taken from their 2020 album Pioneers (which boasts features from the likes of Lady Donli, Cruel Santino and Odunsi The Engine), the single features killer Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who also stars in the video.
Taking the Wachowskis’ work to new realms, director Ademola Falomo splices familiar shots like The Matrix’s green computer code and wires running into headjacks, with a more Nollywood aesthetic. In their alternate realities, Tems and DRB find themselves in a series of disconcerting landscapes — from rooms of fire to halls of mirrors.
“To us it depicts a dystopian universal version of Nigeria,” DRB says. “We wanted to cross-reference stuff from classic Nollywood, movies like The Billionaire's Club, and mix that up with stuff like The Matrix. We loved the juxtaposition of how those two worlds collide, and that's what DRB is all about — mixing up all the stuff we know culturally and putting it together. The video was directed by the brilliant Ademola Falomo who we've worked with before. He's worked with a lot of new exciting artists including Rema and TEMS, so it was a great experience for us to work with him again. He really executed the vision: a dystopian Nigeria with a twist of Nollywood action vibes.”
Watch it below, free your mind.