JAY Z, Kanye West - Otis ft. Otis Redding

What this video is

Released in August 2011 as a lead single from Jay-Z and Kanye West's landmark collaborative album Watch the Throne, 'Otis' arrived at a cultural inflection point when hip-hop's two dominant figures channeled post-recession excess into an audacious act of conspicuous destruction—cutting apart a $350,000 Maybach 57 as a statement of boundless wealth. The song's prominent sample of Otis Redding's 1966 recording of…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of luxury rap's early-2010s peak, 'Otis' demonstrates hip-hop's full absorption of high fashion, automotive culture, and classic soul as unified signifiers of aspiration. Spike Jonze's documentary approach marked a pivotal stylistic counter-move against the CGI-heavy,…

The director

Born Adam Spiegel on October 22, 1969, Spike Jonze is an American filmmaker, photographer, and actor. He began his career photographing BMX riders and skateboarders before moving into music video direction, becoming one of the most celebrated directors of…