J Cole Makes a Social Criticism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzzMOMkjm8A

In J Cole's music video for his song, "Crooked Smile," he uses visual flags and value claims to portray the violence inflicted upon the public by law enforcement. In the video, J Cole plays a drug dealer who is throwing a birthday party for his daughter when his house is bombarded by the police. Upon the attack, J Cole's daughter is shot and killed by the police. This shocking turn of events in the video is supposed to cause an emotional response from the American public, demonstrating that the issue is not as grave to take a human life. He lets you make a warm, emotional attachment to his daughter, which makes her death so confusing and shocking, leaving an unsettling feeling. He also states in the video that this is a true story and at the end of the video he proclaims to the public to "please consider the war on drugs." He also uses metaphors within his lyrics to portray this message when he says that this issue in America is a "crooked smile even braces couldn't straighten."