One of the things Baby Keem is known for is staying undeniably unique in every pocket of his sound.
His debut album, The Melodic Blue, was full of vibrant artistic choices that instantly turned heads toward the budding 21-year-old wordsmith. On top of two features from pgLang founder and cousin Kendrick Lamar, the Carson, California native also recuited Don Toliver, Travis Scott and Brent Faiyaz for his debut effort — all heavy-hitters to introduce every layer of the producer-rapper’s poetic ambiance.
Captaining his sound at each twist and then the album takes, Keem’s art is dark, delirious, futuristic and teeters reality at its core. In the last year, Keem has put together video treatments for a slew of TMB tracks in “no sense,” “hooligan,” “range brothers,” “durag activity,” “issues” and “first order of business” — further asserting his attention to detail when it comes to a crafting a visual narrative. Now, adding the hyperpop-influenced “16,” Keem is as forward-thinking as ever in his latest cinematic effort.
Much like his previous music videos, Keem immerses listeners into a twisted reality yet again — completing the movie he’s curated throughout his TMB era. He conveys the good and bad of relationships as he pens “how to be good in a world that’s not” in the opening script of the video.
Keem closes his eyes in bed, dreaming of a spacious, dimly lit garage surrounded by luxury foreign cars and a mirage of women that seemingly disappear like Keem’s fleeting thoughts of love. He battles inner demons about choosing someone else over who’s already in his corner, contemplating the thoughts of his mother and girlfriend, pleading for forgiveness and understanding how he’s done wrong.
The video itself is another allusion into the mindset of Keem’s authenticity as both a lyricist and visionary. Creating a world where listeners can truly see his songs come to life not only seems to be his mission, but his purpose on “16” — crafting an unforgettable escapade to either cap off his debut era or start new again in the near future.
Baby Keem will continue to evolve as one of the marquee artists of the next generation, and perhaps will be enshrined alongside legends because of his irreplaceable ear and vision.
Watch “16” by Baby Keem below!
