Bobby Sessions - The Hate U Give ft. Keite Young

What this video is

Released October 12, 2018, this video serves as the official companion to the title track of the soundtrack for the film The Hate U Give, based on Angie Thomas' best-selling novel addressing police violence against Black youth. The song was written and performed by Dallas rapper Bobby Sessions, a Def Jam signee whose personal history — including the 2012 police killing of his cousin James Harper in South Dallas —…

Why it matters

A landmark example of 2010s activist rap tied to narrative film, this video demonstrates how hip-hop soundtrack work evolved to carry full socio-political weight beyond promotion. Its formal realism and restrained production choices align with the documentary aesthetic of BLM-era music videos,…

The director

Tramaine Townsend is a Dallas-based visual artist, filmmaker, and creative director, originally from Houston. His practice spans photography, filmmaking, animation, and sculpture. He is represented as a commercial director at Red Productions and DHD Films,…