Wale Addresses Racial Inequality With “Sue Me” Short Film Starring Lucas Hedges

Watch the DMV native’s reimagining of American society.

(AllHipHop News) Last October, Grammy-nominated emcee Olubowale “Wale” Akintimehin dropped his sixth studio album Wow… That’s Crazy. The song “Sue Me” featuring Kelly Price served as the opening track of the Warner Records-released LP.

Wale has now let loose the “Sue Me” short film directed by Kerby Jean-Raymond. Oscar-nominated actor Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea) stars as the protagonist in the video which addresses some of the same themes as the 1995 movie White Man’s Burden.

Hedges’ character lives in an alternate reality where a White male has to experience the tropes and racial situations often associated with African-Americans. Wale and Jean-Raymond drew inspiration from the real-life situations of two Black men in Philadelphia being arrested for meeting in a Starbucks and incarcerated individuals dealing with the spread of the deadly COVID-19. 

“What if you could walk through a day in the life of an average African-American young man? What would you see? What would you hear? What would you face?” asks Wale. “We wanted to redefine the whole narrative and allow everybody to step into these shoes.”

He continues, “ I’ve never been more proud of a video than what we did here. Kerby really brought this vision to life, and Reebok helped make it a reality. I hope it makes you think a little. While you’re thinking, stay safe, and stay home!”

The “Sue Me” short film arrived on April 22 at 2:02 pm ET. The specific date and time paid homage to the 202 area code of Wale’s hometown of Washington, DC. 

Wow… That’s Crazy peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart, giving Wale his fourth Top 10 album. The project also included contributions from Ari Lennox, Boogie, 6lack, Bryson Tiller, Jeremih, Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Lil Durk, Pink Sweats, Jacquees, and Megan Thee Stallion.