The
Video:
After hitting listeners with a flurry of tracks, DaVinci is back with a second video off The Day The Turf Stood Still, "Ben". For this video, Fillmore's own created an all-encompassing metaphor through money, Ben Franklin, and the $100 bill.
With samples from the King of Pop's, "Ben", DaVinci, paired with producer Big D., takes Michael Jackson's lyrics and sets them to a common theme, but with a twist. Ben Franklin, the King of the Streets, is seen throughout with a smile drawn on his $100 bill face; in DaVinci's town, without Ben in your pocket, you're nothing.
"My main inspiration behind "Ben" was to express the growth of my relationship with money from the moment I started hustling as a teen, until I became a man," says DaVinci. "I wanted to show how far one goes to have material things for both right, and wrong reason." While the video follows different stories of gambling, drugs, and prostitution, the message is all the same - with one's back up against the wall, the quest for financial sustenance leads down many different paths. Such a message is made clear by lyrics such as, "You got your mind on your money / And you climbing in deep / Well just remember who the King of the Streets / Clockin' cold hard cash / Running fast from police / Hey you running with the King of the Streets." This track off of DaVinci's debut ablum, The Day The Turf Stood Still, is now available both for purchase and free download via SWTBRDS Creative Collective.
Watch the video here:
http://vimeo.com/11100802
Alt Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brLXnACtoc4
To Download DaVinci's The Day The Turf Stood Still, please visit: http://www.swtbrds.com/davinci
Alt Link: http://swtbrds.bandcamp.com/album/the-day-the-turf-stood-still
For more information on DaVinci please contact Michelle or Dan at Audible Treats.
The
Background:
The Fillmore District has bred more rappers per capita than any other district in San Francisco,
and although the older generations recall its rich musical history
rooted in Jazz, the Fillmore today is rife with drugs, turf wars, and
mass gentrification. DaVinci, a young MC raised in
the Fillmore, is a prime example of the duality of this area, who at
the age of 13 was homeless, hungry, and hopeful for a way out. Explains
DaVinci, "My music has everything to do with my environment: from
robbing, killing, pimpin' to selling and abusing drugs," he explains
about his heavy content. "It's a direct reflection of what my friends
and family have been through and are still going through." While his
story is similar to many other young rappers’ upbringings, DaVinci was
surrounded by an incredible pool of Fillmore talent and by studying
with the greats, he was able to sharpen his skills and aim higher than
most, cultivating his story-telling abilities beyond mere
drug-and-gun-talk. Growing up in the same 10-block radius as Bay Area
rap legends San Quinn and JT the Bigga Figga,
DaVinci was content in merely watching the next generation follow in
their footsteps, until he received overwhelming praise from his peers
from a mixtape appearance, which then prompted him to pursue rap
professionally. In 2006, San Quinn welcomed him onto the "Pressure Makes Diamonds Tour" with rap veterans Xzibit and Tech N9ne.
Since the tour, DaVinci has kept busy appearing on numerous mixtapes
and compilations, as well as preparing his official debut album, The Day The Turf Stood Still. The Day The Turf Stood Still is available now via SWTBRDS Creative Collective. |
