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Premiere: Play Along with Clairmont The Second as He Makes You Feel "Pretty"

Can time just stop moving for a second so we can catch up on the last cool thing?

Photo courtesy of Devon Little

If there's any word that best describes Clairmont The Second, it would be happy. The 17-year-old rapper has no reason not to be happy, as he's just released a great mixtape, is getting ready to perform with GoldLink at CMW, and is on his way to graduating high school. But according to German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, the two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom. That's why Clairmont looks to tempt fate by locking himself in a room with nothing but some colorful props and his own imagination. The end result is the video for "Pretty," which sees Clairmont auditioning for the Zoolander sequel with a variety of floral accessories.

With the speed at which the world moves now, artists are being influenced by songs they relate most strongly to, not by one that have managed to stay in the public eye for longest. Twenty years ago a rapper would be influenced by Nas because Illmatic was being played on the radio, in clubs, and by cool parents all over North America. With the internet, a fledgling rapper can be influenced by a project like Acid Rap, which has for the most part been unable to crack the musical mainstream. As a result we have acts like Clairmont The Second and Towkio who feel like they're a product of an influence whose aftertaste has yet to leave our palate. The idea of a post-Chance the Rapper artist feels alien, but as time moves forward, the more familiar it will be. But as long as that feeling is rooted in happiness, as it is on "Pretty," we're okay with this.

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