NEWS
The feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar will likely continue for the next few years. After all, how does one forgive someone who had the entirety of the Superdome calling them a pedophile? It’s been over 12 months since Kendrick Lamar and Drake kicked off. The beef has taken on different levels of insanity, from Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance to Drake’s lawsuit against UMG alleging that “Not Like Us” was defamatory. However, there are the much more subtle shots that fans have had to decipher, especially as it relates to the chart battle between Kendrick’s “luther” ft. SZA, which has stayed atop the Hot 100 for weeks, and Drake’s “Nokia,” which is slowly creeping up to the top spot and will likely dethrone the GNX song in the coming weeks.
But, maybe that won’t be the case, though. This morning, Kendrick Lamar and pgLang revealed the long-awaited visual for “luther,” a stunning black & white video with a moody and picturesque quality directed by none other than Karena Evans—a once close collaborator of Drizzy’s and a Toronto native at that. Not only did some point out that the black-and-white aesthetic matched that of “Nokia,” but Evans’s newfound connection to both artists sparked further speculation surrounding whether Kendrick weaponized her involvement as yet another jab at his foe. After all, everything is intentional, right?
During the Scorpion campaign, Evans’ cinematic touch defined the aesthetic that captured the essence of the double-disc. Karena Evans masterfully translated Drake's hit records into compelling visual stories: she captured the heartfelt generosity of his $1 million giveaway in "God's Plan," hosted a Degrassi reunion for “I’m Upset,” infused "Nice For What" with a vibrant, neon-lit celebration of female empowerment, and transformed the viral #InMyFeelingsChallenge into a dynamic homage to New Orleans culture in "In My Feelings.”
However, her resumé has expanded since then with directorial credits in other high-profile music videos and television shows, including Snowfall and P-Valley. Interestingly enough, she also directed several music videos for TDE—Kendrick’s former label and SZA’s current one—in the past. Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable work she’s done over the years.
In her music video debut, Karena Evans teamed up with Drizzy to blow the entire video budget—nearly $1 million—on charitable donations to strangers, families, and students across Miami. Through Evans’s lens, each interaction felt authentic and heartfelt, adding emotional weight that helped elevate the already massive hit. While some questioned the motives behind Drake’s generosity, Evans’s breakthrough moment was undeniably legendary.
Karena Evans exploded onto the scene with this now-iconic visual. Set to a bounce-heavy anthem, the video features a collage of powerful women—from Issa Rae to Michelle Rodriguez—dancing, working, and simply existing on their own terms. Evans brought energy, glamour, and joy to the forefront, making for a refreshing shift that centers femininity and celebration without compromise.
Evans’s earliest collaboration with TDE came through this smooth, sun-drenched video. Set in Jamaica, the video blends street scenes with weed-filled interludes, making SiR’s ode to temptation feel both grounded and escapist. It’s simplistic, yet it’s an exceptional example of how Evans can allow her subject's charisma to shine in the best way possible.
Another 2018 standout, this visual is full of softness and surreal beauty. SZA moves through dreamlike tropical settings with Donald Glover by her side, and Evans captures every moment like a memory. The direction is gentle and dreamy in a way that amplifies the vulnerability in SZA’s sultry vocals.
Evans returned to TDE with a sleeker, more high-concept energy for this Jay Rock single. Flashy lighting, sexy camera work, and stylized production elevate the song’s sensuality. It’s a pivot away from gritty street realism that has been associated with Jay Rock’s gruff bangers, but even with Evans setting a more seductive atmosphere, it still kept the TDE touch.
In her TV directorial debut, Evans directed the pilot episode of P-Valley, setting the tone for a show that would become a cultural staple. Her direction captures both the grit and glitter of life inside The Pynk, blending Southern sensuality with aching vulnerability. Every detail, down to the lighting, carries her signature cinematic feel.
Tension was high in Season 4 of Snowfall, but Episode 2 captured the genesis of a neighborhood war after Franklin Saint and co. attempted an ambush attack on Skully. Paranoia peaks, blood is shed, and the entirety of the Saint operation is on pace to crumble at the hands of intense gang warfare in South Central. Easily one of the best episodes of the season, Evans navigates through the chaos with deliberate pacing and visual restraint that allowed her to showcase her range as a director.
Her most recent high-profile project might also be her most controversial. The black-and-white visual for “luther” is stark, stripped down, and dripping with symbolism (see the covered GNX car). With what’s already cemented as one of the biggest songs of the year, Evans’ direction doesn’t embolden it to further commercialize its success but uses a gorgeous finesse that feels lush and dreamy. Of course, with her previously working with Drake, and the aesthetics being compared to “Nokia,” the video has taken on a whole separate discourse. However, we definitely wouldn’t be mad if we saw more Kendrick Lamar visuals with Karena Evans at the helm.
NEWS
Nick Cave has reflected on reports that his massive Preston Park concert with The Bad Seeds became “the largest ticketed event in Brighton’s history”.
Read More: In conversation with Nick Cave: “There’s no metric that says virtuousness makes good art”
The legendary rock band performed in Brighton on Friday, July 31, delivering their only UK show to more than 50,000 fans while celebrating their praised 2024 record, ‘Wild God’.
The Flaming Lips, English Teacher, Cate Le Bon and Warmduscher appeared as special guests, while Kylie Minogue joined Cave for a moving rendition of ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’.
Before the main concert, the group gave fans another unexpected treat by performing an intimate acoustic set on the rooftop of Brighton’s Resident Records.
Following the packed Preston Park performance, Cave has now reflected on the milestone event, revealing that the occasion felt like a “homecoming” for several reasons.
Responding to a fan through his Red Hand Files website, Cave explained that he spent the following morning sitting along Brighton’s seafront and taking in the “near-empty, early-morning streets” while thinking about the previous night. He also revealed that his manager had told him “last night’s show was the largest ticketed event in Brighton’s history”.
While remembering the concert, Cave called it a “big day for The Bad Seeds” and said he could not “overstate the pride I feel in performing with a band that can play the rooftop of a record store in the morning, and then perform to nearly 50,000 people in the evening with the same ferocious intention”.
“There is simply no other group that can summon pure chaos and the most acute intimacy almost simultaneously, and that is both tight and anarchic within the same song,” he continued. “They are a force to behold, and it is a sheer privilege to share a stage with them.”
Discussing Minogue’s surprise appearance, Cave shared that her outfit had been created by his wife, fashion designer Susie. He also praised the Australian star as “a performer who only gives, gives and gives, then retreats, as ghosts and great performers do.”
The ‘Red Right Hand’ singer went on to express his gratitude to “everyone who came to the concert”, explaining that the evening felt like “a homecoming in many different ways”.
“Although part of me is relieved the Preston Park show is behind me, sometimes my job is so completely and emotionally overwhelming, I’m happy we could, for a delirious moment in time, create a place where the absent and the present could dance together. Again, thank you,” he finished.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will now complete their tour with a final series of European festival appearances. The group has also suggested that another record may be approaching, having revealed earlier this year that they were “messing around” in the studio and considering what could follow ‘Wild God’.
Following the release of that project, Cave appeared on ‘Honora’, the first solo album from Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. He has also created a fresh recording of ‘Red Right Hand’ for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
