inspirations: mark romanek

I felt like black culture was representing itself in a really narrow way. It’s ridiculous for a white boy to look at that and say ‘well maybe I can do something about it’. But that is what happened and I said, you know I would like to make a video that depicted black culture that wasn’t African-American culture but was African culture that wasn’t obsessed as a lot of the hip hop videos were in that period, and still are, with materialism and sexism. I just felt there’s got to be other aspects of black culture to depict and that was the manifesto I made for myself.

Mark Romanek’s comments in “Director’s Series Vol. 4 – Work of Director Mark Romanek” on the making of Janet Jackson’s “Got It ‘Til It’s Gone”.

estelle swaray

music video: for estelle’s new song “wait a minute (just a touch)”. estelle’s easy rhymes about ghetto life in london on her collaboration with ben watt on “pop a cap in yo’ ass” was the best thing about buzzin’ fly vol. 2. good to see her get some wider exposure for her MC/vocal skills via john legend’s new label.