Ever get the feeling there’s just not enough line dancing going on in your life?
No? Me neither.
Videos by VICE
But that’s where we’re both wrong. Since the Gambian refugee turned Swedish hip-hop prodigy Saint came into our lives back in March with his flowtastic funkfest of a debut album, The New Funky Dread, he has been a champion of realness – fresh flows and smooth beats, without the tired bitches-and-money gangsta’ schtick – and his new video for “Holly” is no exception. It definitely won’t get you off like a Rihanna-vid, but you know what? It shouldn’t.
See, the sad truth is that most Scandinavian hip-hop fans can relate way more to the tacky, tea-sipping stuffiness of this line-dance-a-palooza than cruising around in some flashy convertible in slow-motion, smokin’ spliffs and passing around hard liquor. With a bopping, tribal beat scheme and Saint’s playful brand of lyrical funkyness sandwiched in between melancholy, lo-fi in- and outros, “Holly” is a comfortably digestable testament to seeking glory in the face of whackness.
Bob your head along as Saint raps about wanting a jet to come fly him to Hollywood, backed by the eerie dopeness of a flock of old, white people in cowboy hats moving in sync, and enjoy being left with a craving for greener pastures and a newfound, solemn respect for the stoicism of line dancers everywhere:
