Estelle - American Boy [Feat. Kanye West] [Video]

What this video is

Released on 31 March 2008 as the second single from Estelle's album Shine, 'American Boy' represented a pivotal transatlantic crossover moment: a British-Ghanaian artist breaking into the US market via a high-profile Kanye West feature at the height of his post-Graduation commercial peak. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2009 and was nominated for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV VMAs.…

Why it matters

'American Boy' crystallized the UK urban-pop/US hip-hop crossover formula, demonstrating how a British R&B artist could achieve US chart success through strategic collaboration and will.i.am's disco-funk production. Its Grammy win and critical recognition — including #7 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best…

The director

Syndrome is a music video director whose credits include Eminem: '3 a.m.' (2009), Imagine Dragons: 'Radioactive' (2012), Rita Ora: 'Radioactive' (2012), and Avenged Sevenfold: 'Hail to the King' (2013), spanning hip-hop, pop, and rock genres across the late…