Lil Wayne - Drop The World ft. Eminem ft. Eminem

What this video is

Released December 28, 2009 as the third single from Lil Wayne's rock-leaning album Rebirth, 'Drop the World' arrived during one of hip-hop's most commercially turbulent transitional moments — Lil Wayne was at his commercial apex following Tha Carter III (2008), while Eminem was staging his comeback after a five-year hiatus that would culminate in Recovery (2010). The collaboration represented a deliberate…

Why it matters

A landmark late-2000s rap-rock fusion track and visual document that bridges Southern trap-adjacent hip-hop (Cash Money's New Orleans lineage) with Detroit hardcore rap (Shady Records). Demonstrates the commercial and artistic ceiling of the hip-hop collaboration format, while the video's NYC riot…

The director

American film and music video director from Baltimore, Maryland. Debuted in 1991; founded Robot Film Company in 2000. Won the 2007 MTV VMA for Best Direction (Erykah Badu's 'Honey'); Grammy-nominated for Nas's 'One Mic.' Directed landmark hip-hop videos for…