Karena Evans: The talented 22 year old director showcases strong, powerful women in Drake’s “Nice for What”
It hasn’t even been 24-hours since Drake released his latest track & video “Nice for What”. More than how dope the track is (which cleverly samples Ms Lauryn Hill’s “Ex Factor”) can we just take a minute to talk about how this video is giving me life right now?
Firstly, Director: Karena Evans 🙌🏽. Girl is only 22-years old, from Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦 (you know I wasn’t going to let that one escape) and just a pure fire talent 🔥. She is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after directors AND she is also an actress and writer💅🏼. She was an intern for the one and only music video director: Director X, and now takes the coveted title as his protege #GetItGirl . She has already made history by being the first woman to ever receive the music industry’s prestigious Prism Prize’s Lipsett Award for her innovative creative approach to music video art. You may also remember the much talked about “God’s Plan” video? Yeah, that was her too 😎 This young, black woman is only just getting started with her craft of storytelling and damn, she is making a mark.
What is so brilliant about director, Karena Evans’ approach to the video for Drake’s “Nice for What” specifically, is how she used her craft of storytelling to turn the premise of this song on its head. If you take a look at the lyrics of the song, it’s actually an expression of Drake’s frustration towards a mystery woman and their breakup. But rather than the video be about revenge and spite, Evans turned it around and celebrates the elements that he loved about her, most specifically: her strength & independence.
How Evans did this was by using the video to showcase several famous women who each represent the various elements of that strength (see full list below). In the portrayal of these women, Evans was very thoughtful in how she included several, unexpected elements to reinforce their respective personalities and strength. For example, Olivia Wilde dancing at a boujie party in a couture ballgown skirt and hoodie, only to reveal that underneath she’s wearing her matching Air Jordans. Or rather than just focus on Yara Shahidi’s beautiful, alluring face, Evans makes it a point to highlight Yara wearing her Harvard hoodie, where she is currently completing her Undergraduate degree. Or how Tracee Ellis Ross, rather than being portrayed as only a majestic, older woman, Evans highlights Ross’ sheer beauty, joy and playfulness through her fierce silver sequin jumpsuit outfit while dancing in the middle of a MF field 💃🏽! All of these thoughtful elements come together so elegantly and powerfully by way of Evans’ cinematography and art direction. As a result, the video speak volumes to those who watch it and take a minute to understand her beautiful story telling
This is all to say that this breakup song’s music video is actually a celebration! It’s Drake’s & Evans’ way of celebrating the beauty in the power and strength of a woman. Qualities that many of us ladies are empowering one another to build and reinforce today. Qualities that sometimes we often have downplayed with the male gender, in order to seem more relatable and approachable. By way of the young and talented, Karena Evans and Drake — our fellow Canadian creatives 💕— they are telling us to continue to be us, to celebrate who we are and to understand that these qualities of strength and independence can be admired, can be revered and most of all can be missed.
Below is the full list of women featured in Drake’s Nice for What music video (in order of appearance) along with their many accolades #GirlPower
Olivia Wilde — model, producer, director, activist, and socialite. She is more very passionate about her activism, especially her work in Haiti, where she cofounded the free high school Academy for Peace and Justice in Port-au-Prince
Misty Copeland is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She is the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s 75-year history
Issa Rae is an actress, writer, author, director, producer, and creator of the Youtube series: Awkward Black Girl which got picked up by HBO 🙌🏽. She’s also a 2-time Golden Globe Award nominee & Stanford University graduate
Rashida Jones is an American actress, producer, singer, and writer. Known for her hilarious work in Parks & Recreation and The Office. She is also a Harvard University graduate
Jourdan Dunn is a British model, actress and fashion designer. She is the first Black, British model to make Forbes’ list of top earning models and has won “model of the year” a number of times. She is a young mother and cooks bomb food! She even had a youtube cooking show called “Well Dunn” back in the day
Tracee Ellis Ross is an American actress, model, comedian, and television host. She has been a repeated advocate for celebrating life, being single, and owning your sexuality
Tiffany Haddish is an American comedian and actress who has pushed her way through tremendous adversity to demonstrate how happiness and positivity can get you through anything. She is most known for her candid and outspoken personality which is most endearing.
Yara Shahidi is an American actress, model, and activist. She is born to an Iranian-American father, African-American mother and is cousins with rapper, Nas. She has a fierce, loyal, young following and makes sure to represent and stand for what matters most to her in order to be a strong role model for them. She is currently pursuing her education at Harvard University
Zoe Saldana is an American actress and dancer. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. Mother of 3 boys
Elizabeth & Victoria Lejonhjarta are Swedish Model twins. They have Gambian, Senegalese, Swedish and Sámi roots and were brought up in a partly Caribbean household that was very political and spiritual. Their parents showed them to value self-acceptance a lot, and are known for their beautiful, natural hair which neither of them have ever cut or straightened
Letitia Wright is a Guyanese-born British actress most known for her recent performance as 16-year-old Shuri is princess of Wakanda and an engineering prodigy in Black Panther. Keke Palmer from Akeelah and the Bee is who inspired her to become an actress
Bria Vinaite is a Lithuanian-American actress. This Instagram star’s tattoos and neon hair won her a breakthrough role in the Golden Globe–nominated film The Florida Project starring opposite movie veteran: Willam Defoe
Emma Roberts is a young American actress and singer who got her start from the tender age of 9 years old. She has a young, dedicated following that has been with her from the very beginning.
Syd is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and audio engineer from Los Angeles, California. She began as an engineer and eventually became known more as the front-person of soul-rooted alternative R&B band the Internet. She recorded and mixed Tyler, the Creator’s gold single “Yonkers”
Michelle Rodriguez is an American actress. Her breakout role was as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight (2000), which was met with critical acclaim and earned her several awards. She is synonymous with a tough, bad-ass chic which she often plays in her roles but is also very similar in real life.
