The Best of Hype Williams by Sean Brown

Additional words by

ALEXANDER COLE

SB: The more I study Hype's art, the more I realize that directing was just one component of his holistic vision. So much of his art covers fashion, technology, through both digital and analog languages, and culture in ways that would transcend generations and inspire a crop of new creators just like me. I am a self-proclaimed descendant of Hype and not just because of our aesthetic synergy, but because he literally helped shape how I view and use colour, composition and rhythm in my work. This is not in relation to things like the Hype tribute grocery bag for Curves, this is deeper. This is in my use of straight lines in photography, my strong use of contrast in editing portraits, and understanding of environment or backdrop for any subject in storytelling.

The elements of a Hype Williams motion picture consists of composition (which we've all become accustomed to), the signature fisheye lensing of the most prolific acts in music, and then there's his use of colour, fashion, environment and performance. The Hype Williams accreditation on a video didn't just mean that a visionary was behind it, it meant that we were getting the best visual context for a song. In many cases, the videos he directed were for songs that were already hits, but the videos would ultimately immortalize the songs, often making them larger than life (Mo Money Mo Problems), and give the music an even longer lineage.

When I think about the kid I was, enamoured by a Hype Williams music video cued on Planet Groove or 106 & Park, I remember how much weight his name carried. I was a liner notes kid, I studied credits, down to the names of the person who graphic designed the CD booklet. I didn't need to see Hype's face once; his work was so incredibly distinct that I began to assume he directed something before even reading a credit. By the time I had chosen a career in the arts, I had innately taken Hype's influence and perspective with me. This is throughout fashion, directing music videos, photography, and even now in home decor and furniture design.

It's possible that if it wasn't for the impact of Kubrick's '2001: A Space Oddesey', Lyor Cohen telling him how trash his very first music video was, or Sylvia Rhone seeing the potential in him so early, we would never have the graffiti artist-turned-renaissance auteur from Queens usher us into a new era of filmmaking. I would need more than a blog post and a few floors at the Whitney to fully uncover the genius in Hype's work, so this roundup is to only give insight into how these videos have inspired and shaped my artistic outlook. I am not going to try to convince you that these selected videos are definitely his best works, but they are his best (to me), and they are in no particular order of course.

SB: I know, I know, how could I rank this higher than "Put Your Hands"? For one, the use of two songs in a single video was a huge marketing play I wish was still widely a thing. I loved Busta's E.L.E. album and "Party Is Going On Over Here" wasn't even a song with heavy radio play if any at all. And that's why I love Busta and Hype's chemistry. It was purely about the arts. It felt like they were ideating before they knew which song would be the single, and then would pluck ideas out to fit with the songs. I think that in the same way Scorsese had found a muse in De Niro, Hype had found it in Busta. There was a creative trust so strong between them, it felt as though Hype could press record and step away from the camera. The locations in this video are nothing crazy, it relies heavily on Busta's performance, lighting, and angles. It's simple and simple can be hard to do.

SB: I mean c'mon, the long continuous shot of DMX spitting the first verse to shorty while leaning on the whip, paired with the slow motion trailing shots. It feels like a lot of the voyeuristic perspective that would be prevalent throughout Belly later that year. Also, look at the use of cameos here. Portraits of Ja Rule, and Eve on what looks like a summer day in the hood and only at the end. Never forget thugs need love, too, bruh.

SB: It was a tough decision on what Missy video to include in this round up, obviously, but man, "She's A B**ch" is a video shot in 1999, for a song that sounds like it was recorded in 2099, which I believe in the year 3099 won't look out of date. I don't know what convos Missy and Hype were having, I don't know what was on the moldboard when they worked together, but everything just laid the future out for a genre that was still in its infancy.

SB: Aside from the epic use of the sample, one of the first questions I asked Puff when I met him was, "Why the shiny suits? What was the thinking behind all of that?" He said he grew up watching Diana Ross with all the glam in her performances and he wanted to bring that to rap. It all connected for me right then. Look at the living icon that is June Ambrose, and the set design here. This video is not only one of Hype's most notable works, it doubles as one of the conduits to further commercializing rap culture. The song would be a hit for ages, but the video matches the scale of a song this b.i.g.

SB: I'm always going to have an affinity for nature focused videos. As a kid I didn 't understand the beauty of this video. I knew it was a beautiful video, like I could comprehend that, but it didn 't make sense until I started travelling. During this time, this wasn 't what R&B videos looked like in rotation. I love the simplicity of this song and video. I feel like there is reference to this video when you watch Kanye 's "Amazing," also directed by Hype in Hawaii. This video also inspired how I approached Amaal 's "Not What I Thought" once I started directing.

SB: This is that intersection thing Hype specializes in. Taking hood energy and presenting it in a way that amplifies its beauty. It's still very much Queensbridge, but it's the backdrop of a honeymoon, or the lavish day-in-the-life of a cartel boss depending on how you look at it. And that was the genius of Hype's take on the rap video, specifically, they're not just good videos, they're beautiful videos.

SB: At this point, Get Rich or Die Tryin' had already gone diamond and 50 Cent was setting the stage for the next crop of stars to follow. He was a superstar in his own right, but could apply that formula to others. Cause think about it, both "How We Do" & "Hate It Or Love It" are on Game's debut album! Rappers were getting bigger, larger than life even, and so the cameras got better, lenses got clearer. What I love about this era of Hype videos is his ability to evolve with the times, culture, and technology. There isn't a fish eye in sight, but the high definition capture of groupie love and Lamborghini doors on that Escalade is all there.

SB: It's the Soul II Soul acapella that makes this intro so chilling. What else would've worked as a score? The club light flashes that give us just enough to make sense of what's happening frame by frame, but even if you had never heard a Nas or DMX song in your life, this intro pulls you in. From the sound, colours, to slow motion, it commands your attention until the very end. There is a lot of back and forth about the storyline of Belly, but if you can watch it from the perspective of a master storyteller being tasked to translate short form genius into long format, then I'd say this film did exactly what it was supposed to do.

SB: When Hype linked with Nas for this and "Street Dreams," he really flexed his understanding of lighting. I can't make this claim without giving flowers to his go-to DP Malik Sayeed, but you can see the film study clearly. Just look at the lighting of Lauryn and Nas' skin tones at night! And on film! Hype's imagery inspired me to take great care in the editing and processing of colour in my own photography. Everything from skin tones, the green of the grass, to the colour of the sky I take into consideration. For "Street Dreams," Hype mentioned that they had film stocks used for things like aviation testing put back into production just for the video. It is a huge undertaking to experiment with what we would now consider limited technology, and yet look at the reward.

SB: I liked this song when I first heard it. But I loved it after seeing the video. The entire thing feels like a dream sequence shot from sun up to sun down. This video embodies the aesthetic transformation Graduation had, and is another example of Hype's grand simplicity.

Sean Brown is an artist who has never allowed himself to be put in a box. Based in Toronto, Brown is constantly surrounded by other creatives, and with his forward-thinking vision and approach to visual arts, Brown was able to make himself stand out amongst a crowd that 's already filled with talented individuals.

Breaking through is no simple task, although his design philosophies certainly helped him along the way. Whether it be through fashion, visual art, music videos, interior design, or photography, Brown has always been obsessed with challenging expectations. From appealing to pop culture in decor, bringing art studio vibes to retail spaces, or simply acting as a creative director for artists in the hip-hop and r 'n 'b space, Brown has been able to carve out a lane for himself that very few others are occupying right now.

Brown 's Toronto-based sportswear company NEEDS&WANTS helped flip basic design concepts on its head, as Brown would take standard pieces of clothing, and change the materials up to challenge the perceptions of consumers. Even when it came to the retail space for NEEDS&WANTS, Brown wanted to create something truly unique, that would stand out from other competing brands. The artist did this by creating a space that displays clothing items as if they are items in an art gallery. Not only are they to be admired, but consumed.

In addition to NEEDS&WANTS, Brown was also responsible for some gorgeous hip-hop-related decor. The artist would take classic hip-hop albums like Lil ' Kim 's HardCore, Sade 's Love Deluxe, and Outkast 's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and then turn the CDs into beautiful rugs that could go in any room. These projects showcased Brown 's love for hip-hop, as well as his ability to turn pop-culture references into something tangible that can be used in everyday life. Brown has been able to work directly with artists, including an array of Canadian talent, from Daniel Caesar to Jay Whiss to A 'maal Nuux. Brown was Daniel Caesar 's creative director 2015-2021, alongside Keavan Yazdani. It was here that Brown got to work on all of the visual components for the album Freudian, which eventually landed Brown a Juno nomination for Album Artwork of the Year. Sean went on to do Creative Director for Diddy, at Combs Enterprises, and work with other artists and brands, including SZA, Amazon Music, and Rimowa, to name a few.

If you 've seen Brown 's various visual projects, whether they be music videos, album art, or fashion, you would quickly realize that the artist is heavily influenced by the likes of Hype Williams. Whenever you watch a Hype Williams music video, you can expect to see expertly crafted frames, colorful wardrobes, and meticulously placed references to culture, among other things. These are all artistic endeavors that Brown has tried to bring to his own work, and it has allowed him to enjoy success in various disciplines. Through his new home décor brad, CURVES, Brown is paying homage to Williams with a Tote bag made in collaboration with Xylk. This bag has images from some of Williams ' best music videos, and it is yet another example of how Brown is able to combine elements of pop culture and design into something harmonious that anyone can use in a practical manner.

For HotNewHipHop 's Black Future Month celebration, Brown took us through some of his favorite Hype Williams videos. Throughout the essay, Brown explains how he was inspired by Williams ' artistic vision, while also explaining why some of these videos are so iconic. From Busta Rhymes to DMX to Kanye West, Williams has worked with some of the best artists in the world, and at this point, he is a legend of both hip-hop and film. While our readers might not agree with every single choice here, it is clear that the influence these videos had on Brown 's art is palpable.