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New Internets Celebrities Video: Checkmate · by Rafi Kam
The realest ish we ever wrote. And like Jay-Z, we can’t even write!
The Internets Celebrities Dallas Penn and Rafi Kam go in for an investigative report on Check-Cashing. Themes explored include usury, economic instability, commercial banks and their profit line, and the cycle of poverty.
Oh yeah, it’s a comedy.
The video is shot on location in Bushwick and Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, New York. Also stars special guest Internets Celebrity Ben Popken of Consumerist.com.
Directed by Casimir Nozkowski
Shot by Ian Savage, Josh Weisbrot
Music by El Keter; instrumental from song “The Bottom Line” off Sankofa’s album The Tortoise Hustle. Used with full permission.
More at the IC site.
Thanks to RHS for the concept born out of an OhWord comment thread!
Comments for "New Internets Celebrities Video: Checkmate"
stellar piece of work, as per usual.
— khal May 21, 12:47 PM
Wow, great video. This one is definitely the best one yet. Funny, interesting, and good form too. Congrats. Y’all are blowing up for real now.
— Nikhil P. Yerawadekar May 21, 04:27 PM
Agreed. Easily the best IC joint to date.
When are the Rafi/Dallas t-shirts hitting stores?
— floodwatch May 21, 06:27 PM
Again, work well done. I agree that this sucker is the best yet. I sense a DVD release sometime down the funnel pipeline future.
— sankofa May 21, 06:44 PM
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
— J-Mass May 22, 09:11 AM
good shit, funny and relevant.
— Roam May 22, 01:51 PM
i remember back in the day that the only bank in the heights was the apple bank now everyone in the heights got theyre money right and theyre are more banks then micky ds i still keep my money at the apple bank out of loyalty cause they were there here even when the cash wasnt
— deframon May 22, 02:59 PM
I think this is your most successful video yet fellas: perfect balance of comedy and more serious social commentary.
Plans for this one to be screened anywhere?
— Dan Love May 23, 06:51 AM
What’s your problem with capitalism?
— Tray May 25, 12:35 AM
Its lack of humanity.
— Rafi May 25, 12:40 AM
Thanks for the comments all.
floodwatch, probably soon.
dan, no plans yet but i’m sure it will be somewhere. when are you coming to nyc?
— Rafi May 25, 12:45 AM
tray,
or maybe that i’m so bad at it.
— Rafi May 25, 12:48 AM
actually, why should i do that self-deprecating shit as in the comment above. fuck that.
the fact is, i don’t have any problem with capitalism. i have a problem with evil.
it just so happens that there’s a fair amount of overlap.
— Rafi May 25, 01:12 AM
Capitalism is not a social policy.
It is an economic system. I’m not saying anything new but it’s like people forget this shit.
I hope tray was being glib because I’m not in the mood for a rant.
Good shit IC.
I got banks in my hood. Im rich.
— start snitching May 25, 01:17 AM
This was dope. Props.
— Sherman May 25, 12:22 PM
you’re on freakanomics!
ICs keep doing it!
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/poor-people-with-checks/
— Wilson May 26, 09:28 PM
best one yet homies
— Colin C. May 27, 01:19 AM
Very good vid
— drumbum May 27, 10:28 AM
y’all already know how i feel about this.
bloggers make it rain, bitches.
— ron mexico May 28, 10:11 PM
Great video. Major props to you guys.
— Trent May 30, 12:18 PM
Hot Hot Hot is all i can say about it.
— FreeBeat King Jun 1, 09:47 PM
This is great. Really funny yet pointed look at the mechanisms that perpetuate inequality in this country.
Please keep this up.
— Eric Jun 3, 02:36 PM