Cameron Forbes - If I Was White [Video]

An insightful reflection of the poignant year just passed, Cameron Forbes uses his lyrical prowess and distinguished angelic vocals to honour the lives of black and brown women and men who have been murdered through police violence and systemic policies. ‘If I Was White’ is the single released in conjunction with, and celebration of, Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Raised in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, this singer and hit songwriter (Tyga, Carrie, Underwood, Sean Kingston, G-Eazy) fearlessly reaches across genres, traversing pop, R&B, and neo-soul with his penchant for crafting catchy songs on full display. ‘If I Was White’ is a pensive illustration that captivates the raw emotions many of us can relate to. On the track that uses gentle guitar melodies that sit softly over a compelling slow drum beat that mimics a heartbeat, Forbes sings;

“Cause people with skin like me // Are more likely to be incarcerated // And more likely to be less educated // In 2021 and it’s frustrating // I’m losing patience”

Opening with the sound of a shot gun, the compassion on this track has the power to instil fear and deep sadness while simultaneously encouraging the listener to challenge these racial prejudices that are still rife within our communities.

A response to issues that have filtered through his entire life, Forbes said, “After the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the chain of events leading up to the Capitol riots, it sparked something in me, and I felt it was my duty as an artist to speak on what's happening. My intention with the song is to have continued conversations around learning how to be more compassionate to each other. And I hope that the song honours the voiceless, and the ancestors who aren't here to grieve and share their own pain.”

The Thibaud Goarin-directed video follows Forbes as he experiences his own death and transitions to the other side, becoming an ancestor in this beautifully painful home-going.

You can view the video here:

CREDITS

Director - Thibaud Goarin

Executive Producers - Providence Productions, Inc. / So Far So Good Productions, Inc. / Cameron Forbes 

Producers - Gabrielle Cordero, Elizabeth Grullón, Thibaud Goarin 

Dancers - Chazz Fisher, Xan Church, Jacob Sanchez, Arin Ashley, Aiyana Espinal, Nicholas Gutierrez

Editor - Thibaud Goarin

Cinematography - Guido Raimondo

Color - Guido Raimondo

1st AD - Tari Wariebi

1st AC - András Roder 

Gaffers - Mélisse Riahi & Antoine Combelles 

Sound Mixer - James Nolan

DIT - Chase Parsons

Make-up - Netsuki Blackwelder / Elizabeth Grullón

Stylist - Dawn Moldanado

On set photography - Luigi Ventura

On set videography - Steven Matthews