Watch: Black Hearts - @OnlyChrisRivers feat. @therealstylesp & Whispers; A Niles P. Joint

I got to write about two creative videos this week at WTM. This time, it’s the new video for Black Hearts from Chris Rivers. While initially known as the son of legendary Latino G.O.A.T. emcee Big Pun, Rivers has managed to honor his father’s legacy while earning his own stripes as a spitter. This song/video proves to be a good starting point for newcomers. Over a refreshingly dense beat laden with pianos, choir samples, and horns, Rivers maintains his vocal and lyrical intensity for the first two verses. You can see why he’s been getting countless co-signs and accolades. He even holds his own with the iconic Styles P making a guest appearance. Whispers on the hook makes the cipher complete.  

Speaking of which, the video is a fun one, cinematic in scope in its five minute runtime. Drawing inspiration from The Bronx’s street gang past (think The Warriors or Rubble Kings,) it depicts Rivers and his crew as a gang; patched/airbrushed vests are included. Although instead of a knife fight, the rumbles are lyrical as they battle against other crews. Holiday Styles and D-Block come through towards the end to help vanquish their opponents. Check it out after the break, and head to Datpiff to pick up Chris Rivers’ EP Medicated Consumption. I have a feeling his bandwagon will fill up pretty quickly and soon.