LL COOL J - Imagine That (Clean, Letterbox)

What this video is

Released in the summer of 2000 as the lead single from LL Cool J's eighth studio album G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) on Def Jam Recordings, 'Imagine That' arrived at a pivotal transition point in hip-hop: the genre was consolidating its commercial mainstream dominance post-1990s golden era while beginning to absorb early-2000s influences. The single peaked at #16 on Hot Rap Singles and #46 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop…

Why it matters

Represents the pinnacle of Def Jam-era mainstream rap visual production, pairing one of hip-hop's foundational MCs with its most iconic video director. As LL Cool J's assertion of continued relevance in a rapidly evolving genre landscape, the video is a document of hip-hop's early-2000s transition…

The director

Harold 'Hype' Williams (b. August 1, 1970, Queens, NY) is an American music video director, film producer, and screenwriter. He attended Adelphi University and began his career as a graffiti artist before transitioning to music video direction via Classic…