Last Friday, June 16, Asake released his album Work Of Art. Uproxx‘s Wongo Okon lauded it as among the best R&B offerings of the week, writing, “With amapiano-driven production and his trademark spirituality by his side, Asake proves that he is far from a one-album wonder.”
On Wednesday, June 21, Asake expanded the range displayed thus far through Work Of Art singles “Yoga” and “Amapiano” featuring Olamide by adding the luxurious “Basquiat” video to the bunch.
Directed by Joshua Valle and Edgar Esteves, the lively video sets an opulent tone in the first scene, finding Asake lounging with beautiful women on a yacht. Later, he launches off of the boat into the depths of the ocean. Everything is muted for a moment — except for Asake’s spirit, as he beams underwater to reveal his teeth covered in icy grills.
Immediately after his uninhibited dive, Asake is posing in a colorful two-piece between two painters in an art studio. The resulting artwork is as striking as Asake’s performative presence. It all merges when Asake begins throwing paint against a blank canvas — even painting his face. By the video’s end, there is no discernible gap between the artist and his art.
Asake will bring his infectious panache to the 2023 Broccoli City Festival next month.
Watch the “Basquiat” video above.