Jay Electronica is back at it, after being a featured attraction at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. The New Orlean emcee has recorded a new video stemming from the Grammy-nominated album A Written Testimony.
“A.P.I.D.T.A.” is the first song to generate a music video from the highly regarded, critically acclaimed album that features Jay-Z as a co-feature on nearly every track. “A.P.I.D.T.A.” is no different.
The tune is one of the most popular ones from the opus for its somber, yet melodic tone. The two Jays emote over lost loved ones, particularly Jay Elec’s own mother.
“The day my mama died, I scrolled her texts all day long/The physical returns but the connection still stay strong/Now I understand why you used to cry sometimes we ride down Claybourne/You just missed your mama/Now I just miss my mamas.” – Jay Electronica
The rapper’s mother died in 2019 and produced a gut-wrenching, but completely honest testimony of grief. Jay-Z carries much of the song, reciting his lyrics in a hushed, pained tone.
“I got numbers in my phone that’ll never ring again/’Cause Allah done called ’em home, so until we sing again I got texts on my phone that’ll never ping again/I screenshot ’em so I got ’em, I don’t want this thing to end.” – Jay-Z
The song’s vibe is compounded, because was recorded the same night Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a horrific helicopter crash.
A Written Testimony was a 13 year process for Jay Electronica, who was coveted as one of the artists that could “save” Hip-Hop. While the genre has continued to grow and ultimately dominate charts, headlines and the overall marketplace of music, Jay Electronica continued to mystify, tease and captivate audiences.
No word on exactly when the video will drop or if there were be other visuals from the album.