Lil Durk pays tribute to Lil Wayne in the video for his new single “Smurk Carter” — watch it below.
Credited to Lil Durk & Only The Family, the song is expected to be the first offering from an upcoming OTF compilation project.
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The video, directed by Jerry Production, contains numerous references to Wayne, mainly his “Hustler Muzik” clip from 2005’s Tha Carter II, with Durk wearing the same BAPE outfits and directly recreating several rooftop scenes.
There are also other references to elements of Weezy’s early career, including the video for his breakout solo single “Tha Block Is Hot.”
Not satisfied with just honoring Lil Wayne through the video, the “Smurk Carter” single cover art features Lil Durk adorning the rap legend’s iconic face tattoos. The title is, of course, a reference to Wayne’s surname. (His real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.)
The Chicago and New Orleans natives have teamed up on wax just once in the past: on 2015’s “Like Me (Remix)” alongside Jeremih and Fetty Wap.
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As well as being an homage to Lil Wayne, the video for “Smurk Carter” also features an appearance from Robert Shipp, a Chicago man who was sentenced to life in prison but turned his life around while incarcerated and was later released.
At the beginning of the video, Shipp delivers a monologue about second chances in life. He says: “With these people, man, just tryna luck us up for nothin’, you hear me? So here we arе now. I remember back, back, not too long ago. Mе and your daddy was in the belly of the beast. And on our paperwork, it said, as our outdate, it said, ‘Deceased, deceased.’
“They thought we was gon’ die in there, but look at us now. We out here thrivin’, livin.’ Now you out here. It’s your second chance too, nephew.”
“Smurk Carter” arrives just months after the release of Lil Durk’s eight studio album Almost Healed. Powered by the J. Cole-assisted single “All My Life,” the project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after earning 125,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
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Its star-studded supporting cast also included Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Alicia Keys and the late Juice WRLD.
