<p>Shabazz Palaces regularly repudiates establishment narratives with Black art. In "Belhaven Meridien," the now famous Kahlil Joseph shot a fantastic short video for the group in one take paying tribute to director Charles Burnett's 1978 L.A. drama “Killer of Sheep.” Burnett’s film centered on Black Americans in Los Angeles' Watts neighborhood. Joseph paid homage with unique angles and almost random non-narrative elements that replicate certain aspects of the film. Two songs are performed in part “A Mess, The Booth Soaks In Palacian Musk,” melts into “Find Out,” before the video ends with a brief intro into “Blastit…” </p> <p>This is a music video masterpiece when it comes to layers, but it falls perfectly in sync with Shabazz’s music which does just the same and often utilizes bridges and non-narrative form. Though the video and the music in it are both very intricate there’s a sly simplicity to their appearance. Cunning words like Shabazz’s vocalist Palaceer Lazaro (formerly Butterfly of Digable Planets) saying “See I'm from up the block, wear my hat with it cocked/ Sometimes I hate my life, wish I ain't love it so much” play with poetics; the video mirrors this. All of this happens in the midst of the great Black casualty of some blocks in Watts.</p> <ul> <li>William. C. Anderson</li> </ul>