In the music video for “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick Lamar utilizes deepfake technology to morph into OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle.
This is the rapper’s first solo song in four years and the lead single for his upcoming album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, out May 13. It’s also the fifth installment of his “The Heart” series, the first of which, “The Heart Part 1,” dates back to 2010.
The video begins with the quote, “I am. All of us.” In the video, Lamar stands in front of a red background as he transforms into different famous (or infamous) men, adopting their likeness and traumas. Often the lyrics relate to whichever man he’s portraying. For example, after morphing into West, he raps, “Friends bipolar, grab you by your pockets / No option if you froze up, always play the offense” — a reference to West’s bipolar disorder diagnosis.
As always, the deepfakes are unsettling and especially so for the late Bryant and Hussle. But Lamar’s deft lyricism imbues the visuals with raw emotion and empathy for his subjects.
The rapper credits DEEP VOODOO, the studio run by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, for the deepfake work. The team previously deepfaked Donald Trump, Al Gore, and Mark Zuckerberg in their Sassy Justice web series.
