JAY-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

What this video is

Released in August 2001, 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.)' arrived as Jay-Z's most commercially potent statement to date, becoming his first solo top-10 Billboard Hot 100 entry. As the lead single from The Blueprint — an album that dropped on September 11, 2001 — the video represents the apex of Roc-A-Fella Records' cultural momentum. Produced by a then-emerging Kanye West sampling The Jackson 5, the track and video fused street…

Why it matters

A landmark hip-hop crossover video that helped define the visual grammar of early-2000s mainstream rap: warm practical lighting, crowd-embedded performance, and aspirational street aesthetics. Directed by Dave Meyers at the height of his hip-hop collaborations, it showcases the Roc-A-Fella…

The director

David Charles Meyers (born October 19, 1972, Berkeley, California) studied Film Production and Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University. He worked at Paramount and Fox before transitioning to music videos. He has directed over 200 videos, received 12 MTV…