El-P - ＂The Full Retard＂

What this video is

Released in May 2012, 'The Full Retard' arrived as a flagship visual for El-P's critically acclaimed Cancer 4 Cure LP (Fat Possum Records, Metacritic score: 84). The video captures the transitional moment between El-P's decade-long Def Jux underground era and the imminent formation of Run the Jewels, which grew organically from the parallel release of Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music and subsequent co-touring. The…

Why it matters

A landmark in art-rap visual culture, the video codifies the early 2010s underground hip-hop aesthetic: dark, fast-cut, practically crafted, and deliberately anti-commercial. Its puppet conceit represents a rare fusion of Muppet/creature performance tradition with hardcore rap production values,…

The director

New York City-based director and photographer. Received a Fine Art degree from the School of Visual Arts. Has directed music videos for Metallica, Depeche Mode, Animal Collective, Battles, and Run the Jewels. Represented by RadicalMedia LLC. His work mixes…