Jay-Z Talks Working With Hype Williams on ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ – Billboard

Jay-Z has been a longtime collaborator of music video visionary Hype Williams, and the rapper sat down for a uncommon interview with Advanced honoring the director’s work to share some reminiscences.

HOV first labored with Williams again in 1996 for the mob-inspired “Can’t Knock the Hustle” music video, which fits off the observe’s interpolated Scarface dialogue about getting deeper into the drug recreation by portray an image of the high-end, illicit life. “‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ felt like cinema,” Jay informed Advanced. “We even have to speak about Malik [Haseen Sayeed], the cinematographer Hype labored with. The cinematography was simply so lovely and the best way it was shot it simply elevated it to a different degree. We weren’t spending that type of cash then to complete the pyrotechnics. So when the limousine blows up it’s actually janky, you understand. However the imaginative and prescient and the cinematography was simply lovely and his eye was simply completely different. The mix between Hype and June [Ambrose] elevated our feel and appear. I bear in mind folks speaking about how nice a video it was. ”

He additional gushed over Williams, including, “I’d say that Hype might take credit score for 50 % of the success of the music at the moment. If not 55 %. We gave folks an audio expertise that they imagined of their thoughts and when he put these visuals to it, it took it to a complete new degree.” 

Jay continued, “I bear in mind listening to [Busta Rhymes’] ‘Put Your Fingers The place My Eyes Can See’ on Sizzling 97 and considering this track is loopy. We performed it a thousand occasions that night time. However after I noticed the visible, I used to be like, oh, it is a rock n’ roll report. That is method larger than a pleasant membership track. This can be a cultural second for us.”