Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna turn into a modern day Bonnie and Clyde in the highly-anticipated video for “LOYALTY.,” the latest single off the double platinum DAMN.
Directed by Dave Meyers and the little homies (Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar), “LOYALTY.” features a series of symbolic images, pieced together to tell a thrilling story of romance, trust, and love.
The clip begins with a blindfolded K-Dot, who’s surrounded by gorgeous women in a red room. Before a woman stabs him, the clip transitions to downtown L.A. where Kendrick sees many of his friends sinking into the concrete while sharks swim beneath the surface.
Soon, Rihanna appears to run a scam with K-Dot by her side. Approaching a man in a fancy ride, RiRi manages to get him outside and then Kung Fu Kenny proves that his fight training has paid off. K-Dot and RiRi steal the whip and eventually wreck it in a surprising accident. The couple, who also later sinks into the cement, simply laugh it off.
There are stunning views of Los Angeles throughout the cinematic clip, including one of Lamar and Rihanna on a rooftop. “Trust me,” Kendrick tells his co-star, before holding on to her while she daringly hangs off the side of a building. Later, the duo snuggles up on the edge of said building while overlooking the night’s stars.
Much like he did in the critically-lauded videos for “DNA.” and “ELEMENT.,” Kendrick shows off his acting chops in “LOYALTY.” In between scenes with Rihanna, the Compton MC faces off against himself in a mafioso duel in which one version of K-Dot gets killed.
The Meyers and little homies connection has proven to be successful. Their work together on “HUMBLE.” led to K-Dot earning eight MTV VMA nominations, the most of any artist this year.
Currently, King Kendrick is on his surprise-filled “DAMN. Tour,” which has already seen cameos from J. Cole, Chance the Rapper, and 2 Chainz.