Time and time once more, Michael Jackson’s immeasurable affect reminds us why he’s known as the King of Pop. Now, Grammy-nominated rapper Offset is leaning on Jackson’s iconography, in addition to the antics of social media character Kai Cenat, to ship a music video for brand spanking new track “Fan” that reveals off his creative eye, dancing potential and total artistic imaginative and prescient.
The brand new video begins with a newscaster reporting stay from “the aftermath of a riot,” whereas a Cenat lookalike screams, “I don’t know what’s happening! It’s a riot” earlier than the scene cuts to Offset waking up on a mattress positioned within the heart of the chaos. The scene seems to be in reference to Cenat’s headline-making Manhattan giveaway on Aug. 4; the giveaway-turned-unruly riot injured a number of individuals, broken property and resulted in Cenat being taken into NYPD custody and charged with rioting, inciting a riot and illegal meeting.
Cenat himself appeared in a promotional clip by way of Offset’s Instagram web page on Thursday (Aug. 14); the streamer subsequently made a cameo within the official music video.
The majority of the video’s visible identification, nonetheless, comes courtesy of Jackson, with the plot taking inspiration from “Thriller.” Offset and his girlfriend — performed by Everyone Hates Chris actress Paige Hurd — take a stroll across the neighborhood, and after she ends the connection, his rapid emotional turmoil transforms him right into a werewolf. Just like Jackson’s boundary-pushing John Landis-helmed video, the scene seems to be a part of a film that Offset and his girlfriend are watching within the current day. Nonetheless, as soon as the couple steps exterior of the movie show, Offset morphs right into a zombie — simply as Jackson did in his visible.
The MJ references don’t cease there. When the digicam zooms out to seize the total scene of Offset mendacity on a mattress in the course of a riot, the “Clout” rapper is sporting a duplicate of Jackson’s iconic singular rhinestone-encrusted white glove. In one other a part of the video, an Off the Wall vinyl decorates the couple’s bed room. The second half of the “Fan” video takes some cues from Jackson’s “Easy Legal,” with Offset sporting an analogous white go well with and hat as he easily executes a dance sequence that features a reverse Moonwalk.
The brand new video comes on the heels of some MJ-adjacent controversy on the planet of Offset and Grammy-winning spouse Cardi B. In an interview with Sizzling 97 on Sept. 8, Cardi hilariously lamented about Offset’s sadly positioned Michael Jackson abdomen tattoo. “I don’t even wanna take it there. I’ll take it there, however it’s similar to, y’all actually should see it,” Cardi stated. “As a result of each single time I, you already know like, [mimes oral sex], it simply be taking a look at me. I swear to God. You gotta see that tattoo. The tattoo actually be taking a look at me like, ‘Yeahhhh.’” Offset responded that he’s “by no means” eradicating the tattoo.
On Thursday (Sept. 14), Offset revealed the official title and paintings for his forthcoming sophomore solo studio album. The brand new report, titled Set It Off, encompasses a semi-apocalyptic album cowl and is slated for an Oct. 13 launch. Set It Off is the follow-up to Father of 4, his 2019 debut solo studio album which spawned Billboard Sizzling 100 hits comparable to “Crimson Room” (No. 49) and the Grammy-nominated “Clout” (No. 39, with Cardi B). As a member of Migos, Offset has launched 4 studio albums — two of which have topped the Billboard 200.
Watch Offset’s new “Fan” music video above.
