Though he was born and raised in Harlem, Smoke DZA has shown plenty of love to SoCal. Case in point? The rapper’s newly released music video for “The Hook Up,” featuring West Coast artists Dom Kennedy and Dreamville’s Cozz.
The video, directed by Salvatore Rubino, finds the rappers cruising the streets of Los Angeles, as they pass by some of the area’s most recognizable spots. We see the Kobe Bryant mural, the Seventh Street viaduct, Melrose Avenue, and more. It’s a fitting visual for a record that celebrates both the West Coast and East Coast.
“This video was special to me because I got to hook up with my friends and shoot something cool; in a city I wasn’t born in but got love for like I was birthed there," Smoke DZA told Complex of the experience. "L.A. traffic was good to us.”
“The Hook Up,” which came out back in April, appeared on Smoke’s latest album Not for Sale. The 12-track project included features by Joey Badass (“The Mood”), DRAM (“The Come Up”), Ty Dolla Sign (“The Love”), as well as LevyGrey and Bodega Bamz (“The Hustle”).
Not for Sale is available now on Apple Music/iTunes. You can check out “The Hook Up” video above.
If you missed out on Smoke DZA's recent performance on Open Late With Peter Rosenberg, watch that below. The episode also featured an in-depth interview with Terry Crews who praised Kendrick Lamar, as well as a heated debate between Rosenberg, Complex Editor-in-Chief and VP of Content & Development Damien Scott, Miss Info, and Mouse Jones about the current era of hip-hop.
