Kendrick Lamar & SZA's "luther" Music Video Was Directed By A Former Drake MV Director

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares 1.7K Views
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Kendrick Lamar SZA luther Music Video Drake Director Hip Hop News
Kendrick Lamar performs Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin. © Briana Sanchez / American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This news comes as both Drake's "NOKIA" and Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "luther" are topping the charts following the MCs' battle last year.

Even though both Drake and Kendrick Lamar fans have accused the opposing side of milking their beef, it seems like both artists have absolutely no problem with doing so. Moreover, the new "luther" music video celebrating the GNX SZA collab raised eyebrows for fans for a couple of different reasons. It seems like they really liked it overall, but its unorthodox approach and treatment will not land well with other audiences. Most importantly, though, fans noticed a key detail. The music video's director, Toronto-based Karena Evans, also directed music videos for Drizzy's "God's Plan," "I'm Upset," "In My Feelings," and "Nice For What."

But are fans correct in this comparison, and in assuming this is automatically a shot? Honestly, we don't know. It's certainly too big of a detail for either Drake or Kendrick Lamar to ignore, which is something we couldn't really say about the recent "NOKIA" music video despite fans' theories. But fans shouldn't water down Karena Evans' work to just a 6ix God collaborator supposedly switching sides. In fact, she directed SZA's "Garden (Say It Like Dat)," Jay Rock's "Tap Out," and SiR's "D'Evils" music videos, so she has a strong precedent with the TDE crew as well.

Kendrick Lamar & SZA's "luther"

As such, for what it's worth, we don't think there's much to look into here when it comes to Karena Evans' directorial role other than her excellent job at translating "luther" to the screen in our view. In the meantime, Kendrick Lamar and SZA's hit is running Billboard, topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks and counting. There's a big chance Drake will dethrone them with "NOKIA" one of these days, but then again, that was before this new music video came out. So we'll see how that goes, as both cuts deserve all the love in the world.

As Drake builds steam with "NOKIA," hopefully some time for both him and Kendrick Lamar on top of the charts will shut fans up a bit and make them focus on the product rather than its context. Kendrick and SZA have a massive tour to embark on very soon, whereas the OVO mogul is keeping fans on their toes for what he does next.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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