John Carpenter’s classic anti-consumerism film They Live stars the late Roddy Piper as Nada whose sunglasses reveal more than he probably wanted. Under the direction of Jeremy Dehitta and co-director Sloan Copeland, "Zick?" deftly recreates the charm of what made They Live so captivating.

Taken from Deca & Neon Brown’s well-received collaboration "The Donner Party," which first dropped back in August, in this clever and captivating music video for "Zick?," Deca’s aviator shades divulge the hidden messages that permeate our daily existence. The crew pays homage to the original flick in several ways, including the classic Carpenter costumes, subliminal optics, and the ridiculous fight scene between Roddy Piper (Deca) and Frank Armitage (Neon Brown). After their short-lived beef, the two take to their neighborhood bar only to realize that even their local watering hole isn't safe. This wry, visual exposition of a propaganda-saturated modern media landscape is a perfect fit for the explosive and thoughtful lyricism from NYC-based Deca, and the smooth beats put together by his old friend Neon Brown. "Zick?" captures, perfectly, the moment when human consciousness discovers itself, and begins to understand the battle it is losing against the narcissistic robot-hands of free-market capitalism.

From the womb to the dirt
Birthed by the universe and consumed by the earth
We shed the costume like cocoons and emerge
From a reptile's skin or the plumage of a bird

The Donner Party is available through all major DSPs and on vinyl, in limited quantities, through Deca’s Bandcamp page, via Beulah Records. This song is featured on our Conscious Hip Hop playlist.

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