Shabazz Palaces - Are You... Can You... Were You？ (Felt)

What this video is

Released in 2011–2012 alongside Shabazz Palaces' Sub Pop debut Black Up, this video arrives at a watershed moment for experimental hip-hop's visibility in predominantly indie-rock spaces. The production is deeply embedded in the Seattle Black Constellation ecosystem — a creative collective bridging visual art, performance, and music. Director Alley-Barnes, a co-founder of Pun(c)tuation Gallery, brings a fine-art…

Why it matters

Represents a critical inflection point in art-rap music video aesthetics: the merging of Pacific Northwest DIY filmmaking, Black visual art practice, and experimental hip-hop into a coherent anti-commercial visual language. Anticipates the later proliferation of concept-driven, fine-art-adjacent…

The director

Maikoiyo Anabi Alley-Barnes (b. 1977, Seattle) is a multimedia artist, curator, filmmaker, writer, and designer. A founding member of the Black Constellation collective, his work explores genetic cultural memory through the Black Metaphysical. He co-founded…