Busta Rhymes - Make It Clap ft. Spliff Starr

What this video is

Released in late 2002 as the lead single from Busta Rhymes' sixth album It Ain't Safe No More…, 'Make It Clap' ft. Spliff Starr represents the original version of what became a dancehall-rap crossover hit. The video embodies early-2000s hip-hop club video conventions — rapid editing, warm nightclub lighting, high saturation — during a period when MTV and BET video rotation was the primary promotional vehicle for…

Why it matters

Documents the original non-remix iteration of one of 2002's defining hip-hop club records, capturing the aesthetic conventions of early-2000s East Coast rap video production: kinetic editing (1.67s avg shot length), tungsten club lighting, and high-energy performance staging. Co-direction by Busta…

The director

American director from Baltimore, MD. Studied mass communication at Foothill College. Launched Robot Film Company in 2000. Directed 130+ music videos for artists including Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Nas, and Busta Rhymes. Won the 2007 MTV VMA for Best Direction…