When you search for the www xxxtentacion video black context, you aren't just looking for a music video. You're looking for a moment in 2017 that basically broke the internet’s collective brain.
Jahseh Onfroy, known to the world as XXXTentacion, was never one for "safe" creative choices. But when the visual for "Look At Me!" combined with "Riot" dropped, it didn't just trend; it ignited a firestorm. It’s been years since his passing, yet people are still scouring the web to understand the raw, often uncomfortable imagery of that specific "black and white" or "dark" era of his videography.
The Viral Visuals of Look At Me! and Riot
Most people landing on this topic are actually remembering the "Look At Me!" official video. It’s iconic. It’s grainy. It’s intentionally lo-fi.
The video is split into two distinct parts. First, you get the chaotic, high-energy "Look At Me!" segment which looks like a VHS tape found in a basement. But then, the music stops. The screen shifts. We transition into "Riot," and the tone turns dead serious.
This is where the "black" keyword often comes from—not just the race relations being discussed, but the literal dark, somber palette of the cinematography.
X decided to portray scenes of historical and modern American violence. The most controversial part? A scene where a white child is lynched on a stage while a black child watches. It was a visual reversal of America's history of racial violence.
LaShawnna Stanley, the casting director, actually told TMZ at the time that she went through 20 different parents before finding one who would allow their child to participate. One parent backed out specifically because the concept was "too dark."
X wasn't trying to be "woke" in the traditional sense. In fact, he famously stirred the pot by saying the video wasn't just for Black Lives Matter—it was about "All Lives Matter," a stance that made him a lightning rod for criticism from both sides of the political aisle. He wanted viewers to feel the visceral horror of seeing a child in that position, regardless of skin color.
✨ Don't miss: Why La Mera Mera Radio is Actually Dominating Local Airwaves Right Now
Why the Grainy Black Aesthetic?
The lo-fi, "black" or "dark" aesthetic wasn't an accident. X and his directors (like JMP) leaned into a style that felt like "found footage."
- Authenticity over Polish: In an era of 4K glossy rap videos, the "www xxxtentacion video black" aesthetic felt like a protest against the industry.
- Symbolism of the Past: By using high-contrast lighting and shadows, the videos for "Riot" and later "SAD!" felt more like fever dreams than music videos.
- Emotional Weight: The darkness emphasized the heavy themes of depression, historical trauma, and personal change.
The SAD! Video and the Death of the Old Self
If you aren't looking for "Riot," you’re probably thinking of the "SAD!" music video. This was released posthumously, just days after his death in June 2018.
In this video, X literally attends his own funeral. He fights his "old self"—the version of him with the black-and-blonde hair—while the "new" version with the blue hair tries to move forward.
The visual storytelling here is dense. There's a black-cloaked figure (Gekyume) that represents a higher consciousness or perhaps death itself. It’s eerie. It’s haunting. It’s also incredibly well-produced compared to his earlier "guerrilla-style" shots.
The "black" elements here are symbolic of his battle with his own "shadow," a concept he was obsessed with towards the end of his life. He was reading a lot about the philosopher Carl Jung. He wanted to "kill" his old, violent persona and be reborn. The video feels like a public confession.
What People Get Wrong About the Controversial Imagery
Honestly, the internet is full of "think pieces" about X that miss the mark.
Some people think the "Look At Me!" video was just for shock value. If you watch the whole thing, though, there's a long spoken-word segment at the end. X reads a passage about race and bigotry. He asks, "Are you willing to risk your own child's future due to your own bigotry?"
🔗 Read more: Why Love Island Season 7 Episode 23 Still Feels Like a Fever Dream
He wasn't advocating for violence against white people. He was using a "reverse-history" lens to force people to feel the pain that black families have felt for 150 years. It was a radical empathy experiment, even if it was executed in a way that made people want to call the cops.
The Impact on the "SoundCloud Rap" Era
You've gotta realize that before this, rap videos were mostly about cars, girls, and money.
X changed the "visual language" of the genre. He made it okay for videos to be:
- Politically divisive.
- Visually "ugly" or distorted.
- Hyper-focused on mental health and internal demons.
The www xxxtentacion video black search trend is a testament to how those images are burned into the culture's retina. You don't just forget a video that shows a noose being put around a child's neck as a "lesson" on equality.
Real Evidence of the Cultural Shift
Look at the numbers. The "Look At Me!" video hit 5 million views in less than 24 hours back in 2017. That was huge for an independent artist.
The controversy actually helped his career, even though it almost got him banned from platforms. YouTube didn't age-restrict it initially, which led to a massive debate about double standards in content moderation.
Critics like Anthony Fantano and various Reddit communities (like r/hiphopheads) dissected these videos for weeks. Some called it "cringe," others called it "genius." The fact that we're still talking about it in 2026 proves it was effective.
💡 You might also like: When Was Kai Cenat Born? What You Didn't Know About His Early Life
What You Should Do Next
If you’re trying to dive deeper into the "black" aesthetic of XXXTentacion’s work, don’t just watch the YouTube clips.
Watch the "Look At Me: The Album" documentary. It provides the actual behind-the-scenes context for why he chose these specific visuals. It also features interviews with the people who were there when he was directing these scenes.
Read up on the Carl Jung "Shadow" concept. If you want to understand the "SAD!" video or his obsession with darkness, you need to understand the psychology he was studying. It explains the "black-clad" figures and the internal struggle portrayed in his final works.
Check the "Riot" lyrics alongside the video. The lyrics often contradict what people think the video is saying. He critiqued the looting and the violence of riots while simultaneously acknowledging the pain that causes them. It’s a nuanced take that gets lost in the 15-second TikTok clips.
The "www xxxtentacion video black" phenomenon is more than a search query—it's a look into the mind of an artist who was trying to process his own darkness in front of millions of people. Whether you loved him or hated him, you can't deny that he changed the way we look at music videos.
Instead of just skimming the surface, take the time to watch the full 5-minute "Riot" sequence. Listen to the speech at the end. Compare the raw, grainy footage of his 2017 era to the cinematic, blue-toned polish of his 2018 work. The evolution tells a story of a kid trying to grow up under a microscope, often failing, but always being unapologetically himself.