Coming off the heels of the eighth annual Athens Hip Hop Awards, local rapper and singer Xavier Ellison, who goes by the stage name Anime Zayy—nominated for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Hip Hop Collaboration, Album of the Year and Music Video of the Year—continues to build a consistent brand and universe around his music. The album Anime World was released in July 2021, establishing the ethereal Lo-fi hip-hop sound the artist is known for. Today, Ellison shares the music video for one of the album’s singles, “Deku.”
“I just wanted to… create my own vibe, my own lane, create a feeling that makes you levitate. Like you’re on a different planet,” says Ellison.
The location setting for the video is Happy Ending Tattoo on Gaines School Road. Outside of promoting his own music, the goal of this video was to highlight and promote a local business that Ellison loves. As a patron that respects the artists’ work at the shop, the building seemed like the perfect location for a video because of the beautiful collection of sculptures and paintings that adorn its walls. And yes—needle did touch skin while shooting. The scene where Ellison receives a tattoo was not staged.
The video for “Deku” was directed and shot by Brandon Bryant Films. Also featured in the video are members of the hip-hop collective Rich Music Cartel, a group that Ellison has been a part of since its inception in 2017. Whether working on solo artist projects or group projects, the collective treats everything like a family affair.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
