Serius Jones: ‘Life As Serius’
DIY Video Short Done Well
| By Amir Said (Sa’id) |
There are many different ways to essentially do the same damn thing. In hip hop/rap music, marketing and promotional tools are often duplicated without any sense of character or individualism. When rappers began doing their own “movies,” it was immediately clear to me that the norm was going to be some half-assed cliched look at life in “the streets.” And though I have seen a couple of decent “do it yourself” street videos, for the most part, I have yet to be impressed… That is, until now.
In Life As Serius, rapper Serius Jones and directors Winfield Ezell, Jr. and Dave Wilson bring us a “do it yourself” film that delivers a distinctly honest and glaring look at the life of a black male trying to make it in seemingly opposing worlds. The movie scorns the exhausted “king of the hustle and streets” approach, and instead focuses on offering a fair and well-rounded glimpse at Serius Jones’ story of family, school, crime, and friendship. The tone and flow of Life As Serius is just as much “matter-of-fact” as it is subtle. Nothing appears overstated or contrived. Moreover, the message, which clearly underscores the balance of this impressive work, is that in order for one to truly make it in the music industry (or indeed life in general) they must embrace their own unique nature and then proceed accordingly with perseverance. If Serius Jones sticks to this formula, he will undoubtedly see many measures of success.
For educational purposes…
Serius Jones – ‘Life As Serius’
Serius Jones presents Life is Serius[The Movie] from IrunsNY on Vimeo.
