Jay-Z Sets The Tone For Nabil's Latest Indian Martial Arts Short, HIGHER
I rarely share music videos on my blog that have a martial arts action narrative, and it is either because there are not that many out there, or because, plainly speaking, I don’t usually come across a lot of them. Having said this, it’s a treat to share a music video I found over at SPIN for a newly remixed Jay-Z song titled Higher.
The music video is actually a shortfilm from Los Angeles-based Aussie Nabil Elderkin, who is best known for his work as a visual artist for various mediums such as magazines, books, artists and music videos and even filmmaking. Collaborating with New York-based Fort Knox Entertainment CEO Just Blaze, and Brooklyn DJ Baauer, it is with Higher that Nabil introduces Indian-based martial art, Kalaripayattu to the forefront of the hip hop music circuit in of a coming-of-age story about young children who are challenged by a neighborhood bully and his fellow Kalari-trained comrades. The short film was shot in Kerala, India where Kalari originates as the most popular martial art throughout the country.
I think it’s awesome to see Kalari being brought to the mainstream through hip hop, especially seeing as how we have had Indian martial arts movies circulating the fanbase for a number of years now, like Dilip Ghosh‘s action thriller, Commando showcasing martial arts action star Vidyut Jammwal making his way to Fantastic Fest this September. And with the video already buzzing its way around the internet, its about time I came across this thing.
Higher stars an energetic cast of actors, including young warrior Arjun, opposite his much older warrior counterpart, Pradeesh, and participating students from Vishwabharath Kalari Sangam. Feel free to head on over to Fader to get some insight from the director himself on the production process.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!