Halifax hip hop artist Frantik has brought us along for a ride with a whirlwind of his emotions. After moving away from Montreal back in 2012, Frantik was able to reunite with his biological father and meet extended family he never knew he had. Among his newfound family was his uncle Cory, whose passing inspired the emotional track and music video. These are a tribute to his life.
“I wrote ‘Cory’ after getting a call from my biological father telling me that my Uncle Cory passed,” explains Frantik. “His girlfriend woke up next to him and realized that he was not breathing.
“After getting off the phone with my birth dad, I was devastated. Cory was one of the most fun-loving and genuinely friendly people I have ever met. Overcome with grief and sadness, I turned to music, which has always been my sanctuary and my greatest tool for coping with hard times.
“Using Dirty Dane’s beat, the song wrote itself as I tried to come to terms with the loss of this empathetic and charismatic human being and the pain that was pulsating through his friends and family. It then became my most personal and vulnerable song I had ever made. I still feel like part of him lives in the song. We were both musicians, so whenever I perform the song I feel him playing guitar along with me. Overall I think what the song conveys is that our love that we have lost will always be around if we take the time to remember them.”
With the help of cinematographer Halley Davies, as well as writer and director Israel Ekanem, the video brings to light memories of Cory with flashes of photos of him smiling, his friends in the background.
“The video was Israel’s idea. We linked up a while back after he interviewed me about The Get Down (a local hip hop show),” says Frantik. “Israel is a bridge between lots of amazing talented people in Halifax and works hard to make those connections, which is crucial when supporting local art and culture. He had seen me perform the song and said that it had made an impact on him and that he wanted to make the video.”
Israel’s vision included incorporating talented violinist Mayaya as a metaphorical stand-in for Cory — present but always distant — as well as a circle of people holding up photos of their lost loved ones. The video illustrates a theme of remembrance and celebration of life as a universal experience. It serves as a reminder to appreciate the precious moments in life, and it makes us stop and think about everyone we love and how quickly they can be taken away.
“I really like what he did with the direction of the video. He has a real gift for finding the positive aspect of things and bringing them to light,” says Frantik. “I always felt like the song was really sad, but he saw the more hopeful and positive parts of it.
“Grief and loss are at the core of the human experience. I hope that by sharing my story that it helps others grieve and come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. Your souls remain infinite through memories. Love you all!”