Black Panther Joins the Jaden Smith "Icon" Video Parody Trend

Will Smith isn't the only one recreating Jaden Smith's "Icon" music video.

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Here’s a grand, sweeping statement that is also 100 percent true: the two most glorious things that 2018 has given us so far are Black Panther and Will Smith’s Instagram.

The former, the upcoming Marvel movie which is set to release in the U.S. on February 16, has already made millions at the box office and has everyone who’s managed to already see it swooning over its performances, effects, and representation of black folks. As for Will Smith, he didn’t create his Instagram in 2018, but he’s perfecting the form with every magical post. His most recent one really elevated his ‘gram game to legendary status: he celebrated his son’s 100 million Spotify streams by making a hilarious parody of the “Icon” music video, complete with bleached hair, gold chain, grills, and denim. It was a fun time for everyone, but earlier this weekNerdist Presentssaw Will and Jaden’s game and decided to raise them one outstanding Black Panther “Icon” parody.

Nerdist transformed Jaden’s SYRE aesthetic to fit the Marvel superhero’s situation. The beat is the same, but the lyrics are rewritten just for T’Challa (“I am just a young king living” is just as catchy as the original). Instead of just walking around rapping and moonwalking like Jaden and Will do, Nerdist’s T’Challa one-ups them by dancing and fighting some random bad guys, too. The video references the same lilac sunset and parked car of Jaden’s original, as well as denim jacket with red details and gold chain.

Unfortunately, Nerdist’s excellent parody isn’t part of the official soundtrack—which was produced by Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Black Panther: The Album is currently available on all streaming platforms, and an official music video off that album—the James Blake, Future, Jay Rock and Kendrick track "King's Dead"—was just released.

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