Alfred. – LIKE YOU! (Yes, You!) @ALFEYALF

Alfred.’s video for “LIKE YOU! (Yes, You!)” is split between two different songs from their new project LIKE YOU!! The first half comes from the song “Tales of a Queer Rapscallion” with an intense introduction featuring three dead white men at what appears to be the conclusion of an intense battle. From there, it transitions to a hang-out session featuring Alfred and a cross-section of the queer friends and acquaintances they made during their time in Richmond, Virginia using fast-moving and painterly cinematography.

The second half of the video–the section for “LIKE YOU! (Yes, You)”–is, metaphorically speaking, a very personal conversation with Alfred in which they wrestle with being their own person, while also desiring, in some regards, to be like “you.” The hurdles in this dynamic are depicted in the video with Alfred walking down a tree-lined street while repeatedly being bumped in to.

The two songs, in a way, are opposite sides of the same coin. “Tales of a Queer Rapscallion” captures its protagonist at their most confident and their most able to combat the powers which threaten their self-esteem daily. Conversely, “LIKE YOU! (Yes, You)” illustrates Alfred’s insecurity in always being their own person and their knowledge that, sometimes “faking it until you make it” is a survival tactic, even if it hurts.

Alfred is a Virginia-based artist and musician. They have been making music since high school and honing their craft–in both visual art and music–in Richmond, Virginia since. Alfred centers their work around the topics of permanence, queerness, and blackness.

Regarding the role of art and creation in their life, Alfred said, “For the past few years, my work has been an anchor for myself and a vessel for communicating with my loved ones. My work helps me make sense of the in-between worlds of our own personal thoughts and feelings.”

The importance of this work is present in the content they are putting out–their music features great contrasts between triumph, found in their more hard-hitting rap tracks, and defeat, which can be heard in the somber nature of some of their hypnotic R&B-influenced jams. While these are two greatly contrasting aesthetics, Alfred’s music will regardless always make you feel something.

Their restless persistence in creating has taken them to a lot of places. In Richmond, they became a mainstay on the house-show and local venue scene with their energetic and intense live performance, performing at The National, Strange Matter, and The Camel amongst many other venues. Outside of Virginia, they toured with producer Young Pockets in support of their previous project, So Sensitive. Over time, they have performed on the same bills as a variety of incredible acts such as Crumb, Abdu Ali, Negative Gemini, George Clanton, and Combo Chimbita.