The Firm - Firm Biz

What this video is

Released in October 1997 as the lead single from The Firm's sole album, 'Firm Biz' emerged at a pivotal and turbulent moment in hip-hop history — months after the murders of Tupac Shakur (September 1996) and The Notorious B.I.G. (March 1997), which had destabilized the East Coast–West Coast rivalry and created space for cross-coastal collaborations like The Firm. The group — formed in New York City in 1996 by Nas,…

Why it matters

'Firm Biz' represents a defining intersection of mafioso rap, R&B crossover pop, and East-West hip-hop détente. As the lead single of what was positioned as rap's most high-profile supergroup release of 1997, backed by a signature Hype Williams visual spectacle, the video encapsulates the tension…

The director

Harold 'Hype' Williams (b. August 1, 1970, Queens, NY) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter. He attended Adelphi University and began his career through graffiti art before transitioning to music video production via Classic Concepts Video…