Who is That? A Real Man

Ryan McNeil

Masculinity is a trait many males seek to acquire early in life. In the music video “Who Is That?,” Krypto and Husalah communicate to boys what it takes to be a man. For these two rappers, to be masculine you need to have a certain attitude, dress stylish, and own the right things.

Every day people are judged based on what they own. As the video begins we notice Husalah next to his oversized Ford Excursion and Krypto standing by his pimped out green Chevy Impala. They are standing in front of an abandoned warehouse, which shows how they grew up poor, but now have money. Husalah’s vehicle demonstrates toughness by its all terrain capability and the lift portraying how he’s large and in charge. The whole time they film the video it’s being shot at a low camera angle making everything seem much larger than it is as all men want to be bigger than each other. Krypto’s car shows another symbol of how to be a man you need to be cool. This custom painted car is sitting on some of the largest rims I have seen making him stand out so as to draw attention while being unique and cool like a man should. Men need to possess the right cars, but wear the right clothes also.

When people meet one another they often reflect on what the other person is wearing. While Krypto and Husalah have a good amount of money, their taste in clothes isn’t as expensive as you might think. Husalah is shown wearing a white International Milan soccer jersey, this represents how a man is competitive, fit, and enjoys sports. While later Husalah is seen driving his Excursion without a shirt, demonstrating the confidence in himself. This portrays his strength within himself, and how he is vulnerable yet not scared. By having no shirt on he is leaving himself open, but his attitude says he is courageous and willing to fight any battle thrown in his path. Krypto on the other hand is wearing a white shirt with Vallejo printed on it. Vallejo, a large low-income city in the Bay Area, is well known for gang activity, which not only shows how tough and mean he is but that he is proud and loyal about where he’s from. One of the videos main symbols is a man in a gorilla suit.

The first image in the video is a man in a Gorilla suit dancing in front of a sunset; we see him again and again throughout the clip. Gorillas are wild, crazy, and they have many characteristics a typical man would have. One of the beginning scenes presents the viewers with a man in a gorilla suit car jacking a young Caucasian male with a UC Berkeley hat on. This symbolizes how to be masculine you have to be relentless and do what it takes to survive. Another scene where attitude is clearly shown is when the street bikes are wheeling donuts around the rappers. They stand in the middle completely unfazed by the commotion around them, which tells the audience to be a man you need to be fearless and ready for anything. Throughout the whole video the rappers are singing and dancing with confidence as if they were the most important people in the world.

To be masculine you have to have swag, dress popularly, and have the biggest and best stuff. Krypto and Husalah constantly portray these traits in several different ways with symbols and references to show the viewers what you need to be a man. Music, movies and pictures we see everyday help influence our youth towards what real masculinity is.