American actor and singer Jussie Smollet finally dropped the music video for his hit track 'Hurt People' from his debut album Sum of My Music.
Popularly known for his character as Jamal Lyon in the hit series 'Empire', Smollet said as soon he finished writing the song, he knew he wanted to shoot the music video in South Africa.
"I knew the moment Jim Beanz and I wrote the song how I would visualise it...I said to him the night we recorded it: 'I’m directing this and we're shooting it in South Africa.' I could see it in my head so clearly," Smollett told Vogue.
Smollet headed to Mzansi in December, to work with a cast and crew of African creatives only, including pantsula dancers.
The video featured scenes that were shot in the iconic Constitution hill and some parts of Soweto which captures the South African culture beautifully.
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"Every single designer used is from a black South African fashion house, every artist, musician, department head, every crew member is too and I don’t feel anything but pride in saying that," he explained.
The American singer said his recent trip to South Africa was inspired by Nelson Mandela's ability to have turned "hurt into furthering the fight for power and love. I think as our mother Africa should be celebrated. Africa is the original.
As are its people. When I think of someone who was consistently attacked and could’ve given in it's Nelson and Winnie Mandela. This video is completely inspired by them."
"We need to be celebrating all that we are and where we have come from. Keeping that connection from us Africans that were born elsewhere is a sin," he added.