Jadakiss - Why (Uncut Version) ft. Anthony Hamilton

What this video is

Released July 13, 2004, 'Why' arrived during a politically charged moment in American history — less than three years after 9/11 and in the thick of the 2004 presidential election cycle. The song's direct interrogation of the Bush administration made it one of the most politically explicit mainstream rap singles of the decade, drawing national condemnation from Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly and resulting in…

Why it matters

A landmark in early 2000s conscious hip-hop, 'Why' peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 — Jadakiss's highest-charting solo single — demonstrating that overtly political rap could achieve mainstream crossover success. The uncut video is particularly significant as an archival document of…

The director

Sanaa Hamri (born November 19, 1977) is a Moroccan-American film, television, and music video director from Tangier, Morocco. She began her career as a video editor under the mentorship of cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed before transitioning to…