Heavy D. & The Boyz - We Got Our Own Thang

What this video is

Released in June 1989, 'We Got Our Own Thang' emerged at the precise moment New Jack Swing was crystallizing as a dominant pop-cultural force, with Teddy Riley's production fusing hip-hop rhythms with R&B swing. The video reflects Uptown Records' visual identity: urban confidence, ensemble choreography, and a celebratory street aesthetic. The track's chart performance — anchoring an album that hit #1 on the Top…

Why it matters

A definitive visual document of New Jack Swing at its commercial peak, the video codifies the genre's performance conventions: group choreography, charismatic MC-as-frontman staging, and rapid-cut editing that mirrors the syncopated rhythmic structure of Teddy Riley's production. As a lead single…

The director

David Kellogg is an American director known for his work in music videos during the late 1980s and early 1990s, collaborating with hip-hop and R&B artists on Uptown and MCA Records. He later transitioned to feature film and commercial direction, most notably…