Singer, songwriter and rapper Kris Baptiste’s latest single “Rest of My Life” just got a stunning new music video to accompany its theme of enduring love. Starring Tai L. Nicholas, Sean Ardoin and Kris (and executive produced by Raj Smoove), this heart of this short film is rooted firmly in Black history.
Set during the Reconstruction era, the video follows a Black couple who have a tenuous interaction with a white man. As the video’s director, Ejazz A. Mason of House of the Young Entertainment explains, the video adheres strongly to the self-preservationist environment in which Black love has been forced to exist throughout American history. “When Kris and Raj first came to me with the concept of an undying love story, I knew almost immediately which direction I wanted to go in. My production team and I strive to tell stories about Black and brown people that tend to fly under the radar. Though we’ve seen plenty of slavery or Reconstruction era stories in Hollywood, not many, if any, stories have been told about the ever enduring love that was shared amongst our ancestors. Which is crazy, because it’s literally why we’re here.”
The song itself has a classic R&B feel with a modern, bounce-tinged remix element, so a video that plays with the boundaries of time feels just right. Ejaaz says that, since the elements were all there, the process was organic. “The production came together almost seamlessly. We were blessed to film at the Historic Woodland Plantation graciously provided by operator John McCusker. My creative director, Christiani, and I worked tirelessly to find wardrobe, props, and set design that matched the time period. My DP, Calvin, is a wizard with a camera and lighting! He put together the majority of the crew, who I must say are some very talented individuals. And the day of production was fast paced but smooth and lots of fun. Being that it was New Year’s Eve, we wrapped the day with a champagne toast.”
Kris Baptiste — a New Orleans native — will make his Jazz Fest debut later this year. For more information, click here to visit his official website.
