Kodak Black: They Don’t Like to See You Winning

An Introduction to Kodak Black — through “Tunnel Vision”

Kodak Black has made his sentiments felt; “Lil Kodak they don’t like to see you winning, they wanna see you in a penitentiary”.

But who is “they”? Did Kodak set out to write a socially charged anthem; or was “Tunnel Vision” just an emotional release after a tough jail stint?

Is it possible that Kodak Black, the young rapper who flashes guns and chains on Instagram, is also a conscious song-writer? I’d like to think so.

As aggressive as his social media antics pose him to be, I believe there is a side of Kodak that shares the political sentiments preached by his peers Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. “Tunnel Vision” is the reason I believe Kodak Black may not be as ignorant as he portrays.

“Tunnel Vision” was Kodak Black’s first single after being released from a jail in early 2017. The song features production from hit-makers Southside and Metro Boomin. Accompanied by a music video upon initial release, the song propelled up the billboard charts and is now a double-platinum record.

Two years later, Kodak has not made any formal political statements, but his views are clear: “They don’t want to see me winning, they just want to see me in a penitentiary”, he croons over the hook in “Tunnel Vision”. Kodak Black has been in and out of legal trouble for most of his life, and as expressed through his lyrics, it’s clear that he feels targeted by the criminal justice system.

The “Tunnel Vision” music video echoes this messaging.

To begin the video, we are introduced to a white male who is wearing a confederate flag jacket and red cap with “Make America Hate Again” written on it. It closely resembled the red MAGA hats made infamous during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, symbolizing the fear of hate shared by Kodak.

The white male approaches a “hunting ground”, where he finds a lone black male, presumably to “hunt”.

Here we are reintroduced to the idea of feeling hunted or targeted. The visual of a “hunting ground” is hyperbolic, but it expresses true sentiment. Institutional racism and white on black violence are a problem in present-day America.

As the video continues, the white male’s gun malfunctions, allowing the black male to retaliate, by physically attacking the white male. They continue to fight back and forth, signifying the fight against oppression.

The two of them continue to brawl, while the music video cuts in and out of Kodak dancing in front of a flaming cross and a hanging KKK member. These symbols show the divide between white and black Americans.

The video continues to follow the two fighting males, until it seems like the black male has the upper hand. He knocks down the white male and reaches for his gun. He aims the gun at the white male ready to shoot. Brute strength and anger wins, right? Wrong.

The video cuts to a young girl screaming for them to stop their fighting.

We are left to infer the ending. I want to believe the innocence of the child was enough to stop the fight. I would like to think that Kodak felt the same way and realized how important this music video could be. If I’m correct, “Tunnel Vision” was just a glimpse of the artist Kodak can be.

“They” might not want to see Kodak win, but I sure do.