Talib Kweli - The Proud

What this video is

Released in late 2002 as part of Talib Kweli's debut solo album Quality on Rawkus Records, 'The Proud' emerged in the immediate shadow of 9/11, channeling post-attack social rupture, ongoing racial injustice, and police brutality into one of the era's most explicitly political hip-hop music videos. The Rawkus Records ecosystem — operating as a premier independent hip-hop imprint distributing through major channels…

Why it matters

A canonical example of early-2000s conscious hip-hop video production, 'The Proud' demonstrates how Rawkus-era underground rap deployed low-budget visual strategies — handheld cameras, street locations, rapid montage — to authenticate political messaging and position itself against the mainstream.…

The director

Video Rahim is an Atlanta, GA-based award-winning filmmaker and music video director whose career spans music videos, commercials, film, and documentaries. His client roster includes Mastodon, Blackberry Smoke, EARTHGANG, Sleepy Brown, Dungeon Family, and…