Will Hype Williams Win 'Video Director Of The Year'?
Hype Williams is one of the names you can drop in hip hop that will most likely elicit an immediate response.
The Queens native’s only feature film to date, Belly, starring rappers Nas and DMX, is probably the first to be recalled, being a cult favorite, but if you read the credits of most music videos in the ‘90s and early to mid aughts, he’s been the man behind lens of your favorite videos.
Since his debut in 1994 with Wu-Tang Clan's "Can It Be All So Simple," the 51-year old director has made the vision of everyone from Missy Elliott to Beyoncé come to life, using avant-garde filmmaking techniques to rap videos, split-screen formats, fisheye distortion and other against the grain techniques.
Videos to Kanye West's "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," Jay-Z ‘s "Big Pimpin" TLC’s "No Scrubs" and Busta Rhymes’ "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" but only scratch the surface of the amount of iconic videos with his fingerprints all over them.
While he's slowed down, the music video guru has not lost his touch, as he’s been nominated for his first BET Hip Hop Award since 2017 in the “Video Director of The Year” category.
WIth hip hop’s biggest night around the corner, here’s a look at some of the work he’s done in the past calendar year.
DJ Khaled ft. Nas, JAY-Z & James Fauntleroy - “Sorry Not Sorry” (2021)
Hype Williams was tapped for one of the very few Jay Z verses we received this year and when you look at the music video he shot for DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” featuring Nas and James Fauntleroy you’ll see why.
The iconic director matches the lush sounds of the piano keys and the ambiance of the two moguls who are living hip hop royalty with the visuals of Casino film after dark-esque vibe.
Future & Lil Uzi Vert - “That's It” (Nov 12, 2020)
Coming off their collaborative effort, Pluto x Baby Pluto, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last November, Atlanta Rapper Future and Philly spitter Lil Uzi Vert have Hype Williams to thank for bringing a fun song to life without overcomplicating it.
The upbeat bop is visualized by the two casually having a blast playing soccer on what looks like a tropical destination. While nothing visually grabbing, he manages to keep you entertained and focused on the lyrics.
Future & Lil Uzi Vert - “Over Your Head” (Nov 17, 2020)
Much was the case for Future and Uzi’s “Over Your Head”. Enlisting Hype Williams again, it seems like he was given orders to make hangin out look cool and, as you’d expect otherwise, the pro delivered.
