We speak a lot on the creative prowess of Nashville.

 

The hip-hop, the soul. The lyrics, the draw. The music, the eye, the fashion. The culture at large brims with a sort of confidence and is guided by direction that can’t be paralleled by any other market in the arts, big or small. There is simply so much to speak on. And per usual, there’s more.

 

From two of the city’s particularly bright hip-hop stars on the rise, and from one director with an insanely underrated natural vision, Runnin is yet another reason to quickly hop on the Nashville bandwagon. The cut itself is taken from Brian Brown’s January album, Journey, and brings into frame arguably the most underrated lyrical powerhouse in rap, Reaux Marquez. If you’re reading this and unfamiliar with either, get acquainted. If you’re familiar already, then you’ve probably already seen the video.

 

You see, Nashville operates that way. Even as the city has prolifically turned up its scale of creative production over the past year, seemingly everyone on board is on board the second a drop happens. They’re part of the video’s creation or part of its spread through the social ranks. No artist too big for a small share. No Nashvillian too small for a big part in the next creative project.

 

Runnin is big. Expectedly, it outshines the reach of its city’s still emerging hip-hop depth on a pop culture scale. But inwardly – by the scale of Nashville – it is the most recent unique chapter of a larger story at work. Nashville hip-hop and the creative community revolving in the grey areas around it are what is next in a major way. And Runnin with its crisp visual from Josh Nachoz that sees our two protagonists enveloped by the heart and soul of their accompanying community is perhaps Nashville’s most bound for the widely reaching delivery to date.

 

As perfected and professional as the track – the project – itself, Runnin is the block party exhibition of community and its merged lane with art that Nashville deserves.