Rapper and pop songwriter DICI puts on his Everlast gloves in the clip for ‘Five Rings’, his latest single, as a statement of identity and intent. The track is the follow-up to his single ‘Shibuya’, released earlier this year, and which saw him established him as a force in Southern Florida independent rap.
While ‘Shibuya’ was a track of straightforward, stinging rhymes, ‘Five Rings’ is by contrast, a broadening of DICI’s character, and includes a few sung passages alongside memorable choruses. The rapped verses however are just as urgent, fiery, self-possessed, and combative. DICI throws his words in the same way great boxers throw punches; his combinations are irresistible, his sequences are forceful and well-designed. Each sets the scene for the next, and the listener is made to feel that each has been slung at them with purpose.
While ‘Shibuya’ was, among other things, a celebration of DICI’s Japanese heritage, and saw DICI and director Brian Bayerl shoot the clip for the song in the famous Tokyo neighbourhood of the same name, for ‘Five Rings’, he sticks closer to home. Again joining forces with Bayerl, the video for ‘Five Rings’ was shot at the SOMI Fitness Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Making use of artful shadows, Bayerl shoots DICI lifting weights, jumping rope, and sparring with trainers in dramatic slow motion. We’re shown him as a contender: he’s fighting fit, and he’s in it for the long haul.
Find out more about DICI and his music online on his official website, and watch the video for ‘Five Rings’ below.
