10 things that went over your head from Fire in Little Africa’s Reparations Music Video

By Ashley “Medley” “Tina Token” Jones

For those who don’t know, Fire in Little Africa made a fire video to match a fire song. The video had all three artists on the track highlighted in a beautiful fashion. What was released is far from that original intentionally. St. Dom will be giving ALSUT an exclusive on what happened to the original. 

What I can confirm is that FILA is made up of 60 artists and funders with ties to the Mayor’s Office. Due to non-violent depictions of the Mayor’s likeness being in the trunk during a scene, and a separate scene that made up the core of the video, the artist understandably decided to create a new vision.

Jeopardizing the first in my eyes is like asking someone to give an artist’s creative baby plastic surgery, or paint over a No Parking Studios masterpiece. It is fine the way it was and still is. The reshoot video is one that people who think appeasing the Mayor would enjoy, because the Mayor would enjoy it.

1. The show in the music video is the Mayor’s version of Reparations. That is why the Token character is important. It makes the appearance that this is supposed to be for black people but white people are the main one who enjoy and see new pleasure in it like the Gathering Place, Reconciliation Park and actual Gentrified Spaces.
2. The men in masks in the beginning and end represent black and allied viewers’ reaction to the video. That may be you. If you hated the video and didn’t understand it due to being out of town or not understanding the background- they are you.
3. The directors are the same directors of the original Reparations Music Video, only one artist out of three was a part of the directing process for the reshoot.
4. The main character “Andy Lovejoy” is a comedian named Evan “B.T. Gynum” Hughes who played the Mayor’s likeness in the OG music video.
5. Every actor, including myself, did not get paid for the project. We were invited by Evan and loved the experience. A lot of us were meeting each other for the first time.
6. The man who played the police officer hates pigs. Every actor was a frontline ally who would put their lives on the line because they understand black lives matter and protesting is a first amendment right.
7. This video is a protest to the Mayor’s indirect censorship.
8. Most names are a playoff on whiteness and white privilege: Andy Lovejoy (jerkoff) Karen Karefree (obvious) Ivana C. Menager (I want to see the manager) Tina Token (token character like south park) Richard Head (dick head) Collin Izors (COLONIZERS) other names were chosen by actors
9. Every lyric was highlighted within the secret messaging
   1. The zoom in on the beginning of the house, the house represents the town in “This town ain’t big enough for the two of us” hence only one black being in the house, the rest were most likely booted out
   2. “Cap” the hug broke apart on beat after the hug began on “We put the town on the map”
   3. “Play to pull up at the map” Elvis is playing with the football
   4. “Ain’t no confusion” why is this girl waving through the window, I’m confused? Was she just not inside?
   5. “The tried to leave the nitty like a dump” SHE IS VACUUMING EVERYTHING BUT THE FLOOR
   6. “Pump” she at the sink (this one is a reach in analysis on my part, but maybe)
   7. “Taking yo lunch so we can have some lunch” that was the actors legit lunch for the day, they said we had to act for it, hence the genuine excitement lol
   8. “Might pull up on G.T.” the milk car pulls up, “Smiling ass,” Big smile, which the director told us to have to put emphasis on that famous lyric
   9.  “Open the safe, we taking what we want” Evan took that football like any actor playing a white supremacist would, Tina (me) was in the back genuinely upset because it wasn’t even passed in my direction. Tina was in the back and waved that game off
   10. “Plotting revenge, rolling up the runtz,” Tina had an alternative motive to be the token… She working from the inside like J. Cole’s G.O.M.D house slave character
   11. “Handout” Police character puts his hand out
   12. “War we put them in the dust” pillow FIGHT on BEAT
   13. “Black balled from America” girl looking in mirror with insecure look on face, she feels blackballed maybe?
   14. “White balled from America, white rose, petals gold, melanin.” White woman with rose tattoo, gold cups, Andy got her wet on beat
   15. “Black Wall Street Resident” runs out of the room, “Put the dent off” that floor behind the scenes was dented and shook the camera when I booked it
   16. “We from the town town town” Every actor is an ally, every actor is a resident of Tulsa
10. If you don’t like the video, after you understand where it comes from, then the video wasn’t made for you. Channel your anger to starting a petition for the original to be released because if the Mayor’s people won’t OK it after Motown and FILA said it was cool, then it may never drop for our beautiful out of town folk