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Music

This Emotional Video From Hooliganradguitar5 Is Your Roadmap to NYC Nightlife

The video follows NYC’s nightlife stars as they hit up various hotspots—including legendary queer club Spectrum on its closing night.

Not only does New York-based hip-hop artist Hooliganradguitar5 have one of the best artist names I've seen, maybe ever, but his blunted and emotional tracks perfectly capture the New York City after-hours vibe. On his latest track "Take It On Down," his lethargic and detached flow are met with Paris-based producer NxxxxxS' barely-there beat, fusing together for a beautiful and hazy come-down anthem. About writing the track, Hooligan told THUMP over email: "I was kinda sad and shit but I felt like it would be cool if I was vulnerable yet still kept my edge and swag."

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The video for "Take It On Down" follows Hooligan and various nightlife fixtures including Alees Yvon and Jason Santore through an evening (and morning-after) of drama-filled escapades. Shot by New York video and visual artist ÅKLØ, the crew begin at the popular Lower East Side party Massive, and wind up at the legendary (and now closed) queer hangout Spectrum in Brooklyn on its closing night this past New Year's Eve. ÅKLØ's video is honest and beautiful, highlighting the ups-and-downs that come with an adventurous night out in New York City.

The project came together through the help of a new fashion incubator in New York called the Snow Globe Incubator Fund, which pairs investors with emerging brands to help young, talented artists fulfill their dreams. Johnny Sagan, founder of the Snow Globe, explained the message behind the video, and the DEKY acronym that pops up a few times. "The life-affirming meaning of the DEKY acronym, which is Don't Ever Kill Yourself, is that a troubled kid of today, taking refuge in the nightlife, aspiring to be an artist can use the video as a literal road map to go find their kinfolk!" Sagan said in an email to THUMP.

This past Friday, the whole crew got together for a party to premiere the video at The Hub headquarters in New York. ÅKLØ was on scene at the premiere to document the happenings, and put together a number of fun GIFs to capture the night as it went down, which you can check out below.

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